Stopover decision during migration: physiological conditions predict nocturnal restlessness in wild passerines

During migration, a number of bird species rely on stopover sites for resting and feeding before and after crossing ecological barriers such as deserts or seas. The duration of a stopover depends on the combined effects of environmental factors, endogenous programmes and physiological conditions. Previous studies indicated that lean birds prolong their refuelling stopover compared with fat birds; however, the quantitative relationship between physiological conditions and stopover behaviour has not been studied yet. Here, we tested in a large sample of free-living birds of three European passerines (whinchats, Saxicola rubetra , garden warblers, Sylvia borin and whitethroats, Sylvia communis ) whether the amount of migratory restlessness (Zugunruhe) shown at a stopover site depends on physiological conditions. An integrated measure of condition based on body mass, amount of subcutaneous fat and thickness of pectoral muscles strongly predicted the intensity of Zugunruhe shown in recording cages in the night following capture. These results provide novel and robust quantitative evidence in support of the hypothesis that the amount of energy reserves plays a major role in determining the stopover duration in migratory birds.

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Evaporative Water Loss and Stopover Behavior in Three Passerine Bird Species During Autumn Migration

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.3389/fevo.2021.704676 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Bernhard Paces ◽

Barbara M. Waringer ◽

Adi Domer ◽

Darren Burns ◽

Yoram Zvik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Loss ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Drinking Behavior ◽

Bird Species ◽

Passerine Bird ◽

Ambient Conditions ◽

Evaporative Water ◽

Stopover Site ◽

Total Body Mass ◽

Total Body

Migratory birds are often not specifically adapted to arid conditions, yet several species travel across deserts during their journeys, and often have more or less short stopovers there. We investigated whether differences in thermoregulatory mechanisms, specifically evaporative cooling, explain the different behavior of three passerine species while stopping over in the Negev desert, Israel. We measured cutaneous water loss (CWL) under ambient conditions and the temperature of panting onset in an experimental setup. In addition, we performed behavioral observations of birds at a stopover site where we manipulated water availability. Blackcaps had slightly higher CWL at relatively low temperatures than Willow Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats. When considered relative to total body mass, however, Willow Warblers had the highest CWL of the three species. Blackcaps started panting at lower ambient temperature than the other two species. Taken together, these results suggest that Willow Warblers are the most efficient in cooling their body, possibly with the cost of needing to regain water by actively foraging during their staging. Lesser Whitethroats had a similar pattern, which was reflected in their slightly higher levels of activity and drinking behavior when water was available. However, in general the behavior of migratory species was not affected by the availability of water, and they were observed drinking rather rarely. Our results indicate that differences in thermoregulatory mechanisms might be at the basis of the evolution of different stopover strategies of migratory birds while crossing arid areas such as deserts.

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Composition and Dynamics of Migratory and Resident Avian Population in Wintering Wetlands from Northern India

Notulae Scientia Biologicae ◽

10.15835/nsb719484 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Kaushalendra Kumar JHA ◽

Craig R. MCKINLEY

Keyword(s):

Aquatic Vegetation ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Bird Species ◽

Uttar Pradesh ◽

Aquatic Birds ◽

Bird Populations ◽

Northern India ◽

Before And After ◽

Vegetation Water ◽

Avian Populations

Twelve wetlands occurring in four different ecozones in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, were selected for studying the winter composition and dynamics of avian populations. Wetland information was collected from office records of the UP Forest department. Bird populations were estimated by transect method and block-in-flock-in-sector method for woodland and aquatic birds, respectively. Across the twelve selected wetlands a total of 486,182 individuals belonging to 161 species of birds on 15,592 ha were recorded during the winter of 2010-11. The data were analyzed to assess the relationship between wetland characteristics and avian populations. Aquatic vegetation, surrounding vegetation, water availability and climate were found as important factors related to avian populations. January was found to be the peak of bird assemblage, while winter times before and after January were the waxing and waning period, respectively. Species richness and species diversity of aquatic birds varied between 18-58 and 1.90-3.20, respectively, and of all bird species between 23-109, and 1.73-3.81, respectively. The density of aquatic birds ranged between 17-384 ha-1. The most common migratory birds in wetlands were Northern Pintail, Common Teal and Greylag Goose. Common resident birds included Asian Openbill, Darter, Little Egret, Common Coot, Little Cormorant, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Indian Pond Heron, Common Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Cattle Egret, Indian Sarus Crane and White-throated Kingfisher. For improved conservation of aquatic avian fauna, management prescriptions are suggested for wetlands under current management which could also be extended to other wetlands, whereas conservation of avian fauna to be the emphasis.

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The amount of available food affects diurnal locomotor activity in migratory songbirds during stopover

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-55404-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Andrea Ferretti ◽

Ivan Maggini ◽

Sara Lupi ◽

Massimiliano Cardinale ◽

Leonida Fusani

Keyword(s):

Locomotor Activity ◽

Food Availability ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Migratory Restlessness ◽

Locomotory Activity ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Stopover Site ◽

Stopover Sites ◽

Migrating Birds ◽

Spring Stopover

AbstractMigratory passerine birds fly long distances twice a year alternating nocturnal flights with stopovers to rest and replenish energy stores. The duration of each stopover depends on several factors including internal clocks, meteorological conditions, and environmental factors such as availability of food. Foraging entails energetic costs, and if birds need to refuel efficiently, they should modulate their activity in relation to food availability. We investigated how food availability influences locomotor activity in migrating birds of six passerine species at a spring stopover site in the central Mediterranean Sea. We selected birds with low fat scores which we expected to be strongly motivated to refuel. We simulated stopover sites of different quality by providing temporarily caged birds with different amounts of food to simulate scarce to abundant food. We analysed the diurnal locomotory activity as a proxy for food searching effort. Low food availability resulted in an increased diurnal locomotor activity in almost all species, while all birds showed low intensity of nocturnal migratory restlessness. In conclusion, our study shows that food availability in an important determinant of behaviour of migratory birds at stopover sites.

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Sea-crossing along migratory flyways is limited more strongly by wind than by lack of uplift

10.1101/2020.09.04.282939 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Elham Nourani ◽

Paolo Becciu ◽

Richard O. Bierregaard ◽

Olivier Duriez ◽

Sinos Giokas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Movement ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Bird Species ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

Global Scale ◽

Route Selection ◽

Atmospheric Conditions ◽

Ecological Barriers ◽

Open Sea ◽

Spatio Temporal

AbstractThe open sea is considered an ecological barrier to terrestrial bird movement. However, over-water journeys of many terrestrial birds, sometimes hundreds of kilometers long, are being uncovered by bio-logging technology. To understand how these birds afford their flights over the open sea, we investigated the role of atmospheric conditions in subsidizing sea-crossing behavior at the global scale. By analyzing forty years of temperature data, we show that the spatio-temporal patterns of sea-crossing in terrestrial migratory birds correspond to favorable uplift conditions. We then analyzed route selection over the open sea for four bird species with varying levels of dependence on soaring flight, representing all major migratory flyways worldwide. Our results showed that favorable uplift conditions, albeit not as common and powerful as over land, are not rare over the open seas and oceans. Moreover, wind, which is more variable than uplift in its spatio-temporal distribution, is the determining factor in the birds’ route selection over the open sea. Our findings suggest a need for revisiting how ecological barriers are defined, to reflect what we know of animal movement in the era of bio-logging.

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Body fat influences departure from stopover sites in migratory birds: evidence from whole-island telemetry

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2009.1028 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 478-481 ◽

Cited By ~ 103

Author(s):

Wolfgang Goymann ◽

Fernando Spina ◽

Andrea Ferri ◽

Leonida Fusani

Keyword(s):

Body Fat ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Subcutaneous Fat ◽

Stopover Duration ◽

Stopover Sites ◽

Ecological Barriers ◽

Mediterranean Island ◽

Fat Stores ◽

The Mean ◽

Sylvia Borin

Migration remains one of the great mysteries of animal life. Small migratory birds rely on refuelling stopovers after crossing ecological barriers such as deserts or seas. Previous studies have suggested that fuel reserves may determine stopover duration but this hypothesis could not be tested because of methodological limitations. Here, we provide evidence that subcutaneous fat stores determine stopover duration by measuring the permanence of migratory garden warblers ( Sylvia borin ) on a small Mediterranean island during spring migration with telemetry methods. Garden warblers with large amounts of fat stores departed the island significantly sooner than lean birds. All except one fat bird left the island on the same evening after capture, with a mean total stopover estimate of 8.8 hours. In contrast, the mean estimated total stopover duration of lean birds was 41.3 hours. To our knowledge, this is the first study that measures the true minimum stopover duration of a songbird during migration.

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Identification Of Migratory Birds And Their Spesific Characteristics Of Habitat In The Salt Water Lake Of Gili Meno, North Lombok Distric

Biology Medicine & Natural Product Chemistry ◽

10.14421/biomedich.2014.31.25-30 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 25

Author(s):

Diah Purwitasari ◽

Luh Gde Sri Astiti ◽

Supriadi Supriadi

Keyword(s):

Migratory Birds ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Salt Water ◽

Bird Species ◽

Small Fish ◽

Importance Value Index ◽

Stopover Site ◽

Water Lake ◽

Wiener Diversity Index ◽

Mangrove Vegetation

The aim of this research was to identify the species of migratory birds in the ecosystem of salt water lake of Gili Meno and their specific characteristics of habitat. Data collection for birds, mangrove and fish species has been carried out in September and October 2013. In this study, a Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index and Importance Value Index (IVI) of mangrove vegetation were calculated to identify carrying capacity of mangrove population in the form of specific habitat in salt water lake of Gili Meno. This research has identified 17 species of birds which are divided into 5 families: Scolopacidae, Charadriidae, Ardeidae, Meropidae and Alcedinidae. Moreover, 3 species of mangrove were discovered that are A. marina, A. lanata and E. Agallocha, as well as one species of fish (Mujair fish/O. mossambicus). N. Nycticorax and B. Striatus were well-known to have higher population than other bird species. The Diversity Index showed that mangrove vegetation in the ecosystem of salt water lake of Gili Meno has a low species diversity (0.565). This is due to higher dominance of one species than the others. What is more, the IVI of A. marina demonstrated a fairly significant value compared to that of other species (189,01). Mangrove vegetation which surrounds the ecosystem of salt water lake of Gili Meno has formed a unique habitat and and an ideal stopover site for migratory birds. The ecosystem not only provides shelters from predators but also supplies for various abundant feeding sources. The lake it self is rather shallow and muddy around the shore which gives advantages for the migratory birds to obtain plenty small fish from the lake.

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Effect of an Endurance and Strength Mixed Circuit Training on Regional Fat Thickness: The Quest for the “Spot Reduction”

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073845 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3845

Author(s):

Antonio Paoli ◽

Andrea Casolo ◽

Matteo Saoncella ◽

Carlo Bertaggia ◽

Marco Fantin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adipose Tissue ◽

Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue ◽

Subcutaneous Fat ◽

Circuit Training ◽

Reduced Body ◽

Before And After ◽

Traditional Resistance Training ◽

Subcutaneous Abdominal Adipose Tissue ◽

Subcutaneous Adipose ◽

Training Protocol

Accumulation of adipose tissue in specific body areas is related to many physiological and hormonal variables. Spot reduction (SR) is a training protocol aimed to stimulate lipolysis locally, even though this training protocol has not been extensively studied in recent years. Thus, the present study sought to investigate the effect of a circuit-training SR on subcutaneous adipose tissue in healthy adults. Methods: Fourteen volunteers were randomly assigned to spot reduction (SR) or to a traditional resistance training (RT) protocol. Body composition via bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and subcutaneous adipose tissue via skinfold and ultrasound were measured before and after eight weeks of training. Results: SR significantly reduced body mass (p < 0.05) and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (p < 0.05). Conclusions: circuit-training SR may be an efficient strategy to reduce in a localized manner abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue depot.

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Great flights by great snipes: long and fast non-stop migration over benign habitats

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2011.0343 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 833-835 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

Raymond H. G. Klaassen ◽

Thomas Alerstam ◽

Peter Carlsson ◽

James W. Fox ◽

Åke Lindström

Keyword(s):

Migratory Birds ◽

Strenuous Exercise ◽

Migration Route ◽

Long Distance ◽

Migration Strategy ◽

Ice Caps ◽

Fuel Loads ◽

Stopover Sites ◽

Ecological Barriers ◽

Suitable Habitats

Migratory land birds perform extreme endurance flights when crossing ecological barriers, such as deserts, oceans and ice-caps. When travelling over benign areas, birds are expected to migrate by shorter flight steps, since carrying the heavy fuel loads needed for long non-stop flights comes at considerable cost. Here, we show that great snipes Gallinago media made long and fast non-stop flights (4300–6800 km in 48–96 h), not only over deserts and seas but also over wide areas of suitable habitats, which represents a previously unknown migration strategy among land birds. Furthermore, the great snipes achieved very high ground speeds (15–27 m s −1 ), which was not an effect of strong tailwind support, and we know of no other animal that travels this rapidly over such a long distance. Our results demonstrate that some migratory birds are prepared to accept extreme costs of strenuous exercise and large fuel loads, even when stopover sites are available along the route and there is little tailwind assistance. A strategy of storing a lot of energy before departure, even if migration is over benign habitats, may be advantageous owing to differential conditions of fuel deposition, predation or infection risk along the migration route.

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Using Bioacoustics to Examine Vocal Phenology of Neotropical Migratory Birds on a Wild and Scenic River in Arizona

Birds ◽

10.3390/birds2030019 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 261-274

Author(s):

Heather L. Bateman ◽

Sidney B. Riddle ◽

Erin S. Cubley

Keyword(s):

Sonoran Desert ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Riparian Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Yellow Warbler ◽

Habitat Features ◽

The Usa ◽

Vocal Activity

Passive acoustic recorders have been used successfully as automated survey tools to detect terrestrial wildlife. However, few studies have monitored Neotropical migratory bird use of riparian forest habitat using this technology. Within dryland ecosystems, the forests along rivers support high bird diversity. Many bird species of conservation concern require these floodplain forest habitats for foraging, migration stop-overs, and breeding. Few studies have explored the use of acoustic records in riverine systems designated for conservation for their natural resource value via the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in the USA. Using acoustic recorders, we document vocal activity of four riparian-obligate species (Bell’s Vireo, Vireo bellii; Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra; Yellow Warbler, Setophaga petechial; and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus) to determine species occurrence along a Wild and Scenic River. We established three study reaches along the perennial Lower Verde River, in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona, USA. Nine acoustic recorders were used over the period of 80–120 days during the summer of 2018. We measured vegetation composition and structure in 100 m2 plots paired with acoustic recorders. Visualizing vocal activity showed that three species were calling and singing at each reach; whereas, one species, the cuckoo, had fewer recordings and occurred later in the summer. We demonstrate the utility of acoustic monitoring even when applied to rare birds in complex riparian habitats. This information is important for land management and conservation efforts concerning these species of interest and identifying important habitat features in Southwestern US riparian woodlands.

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Tick surveillance of migratory birds during 2010–2011 on Hong and Heuksan Islands, Jeollanam Province, Republic of Korea

Systematic and Applied Acarology ◽

10.11158/saa.23.11.13 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (11) ◽

pp. 2214 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sung-Tae Chong ◽

Heung Chul Kim ◽

Jong-Gil Park ◽

Chang-Yong Choi ◽

Chang-Uk Park ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Surveillance ◽

National Park ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Bird Species ◽

Republic Of Korea ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽

Haemaphysalis Concinna ◽

Park Service ◽

The Republic

Migratory birds were captured, examined, banded and then released in accordance with a bird banding protocol of the Bird Research Center, National Park Research Institute, Korea National Park Service, from January-December 2010–2011 on Hong and Heuksan Islands, Jeollanam (Jeonnam) Province, in the Republic of Korea (ROK). Concurrently, ticks were collected from captured birds as part of a tick-borne disease surveillance program. A total of 381 ticks belonging to three genera and eight species – Ixodes turdus (297 ticks), Ixodes nipponensis (16), Haemaphysalis flava (46), Haemaphysalis longicornis (9), Haemaphysalis formosensis (5), Haemaphysalis ornithophila (6), Haemaphysalis concinna (1), and Amblyomma testudinarium (1)—were collected from 32 bird species belonging to 3 families. This is the first host report of A. testudinarium (1 nymph) collected from White’s Thrush, Zoothera aurea (Aves: Passeriformes: Turdidae), in the ROK. Most ticks were collected from birds during the months of April (44.1%) and November (54.2%).

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