Non-breeding season events influence sexual selection in a long-distance migratory bird

The study of sexual selection has traditionally focused on events and behaviours immediately surrounding copulation. In this study, we examine whether carry-over effects from the non-breeding season can influence the process of sexual selection in a long-distance migratory bird, the American redstart ( Setophaga ruticilla ). Previous work on American redstarts demonstrated that overwintering in a high-quality habitat influences spring departure dates from the wintering grounds, advances arrival dates on the breeding grounds and increases apparent reproductive success. We show that the mixed-mating strategy of American redstarts compounds the benefits of overwintering in high-quality winter habitats. Males arriving to breed in Canada from high-quality winter habitats arrive earlier than males from poor-quality habitats, resulting in a lower probability of paternity loss, a higher probability of achieving polygyny and ultimately higher realized reproductive success. Such results suggest that the process of sexual selection may be influenced by events interacting throughout the annual cycle.

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Temporal changes in reproductive success and optimal breeding decisions in a long-distance migratory bird

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-78565-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cynthia Reséndiz-Infante ◽

Gilles Gauthier

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Clutch Size ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Laying Date ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Breeding Phenology ◽

Additional Time ◽

Long Distance ◽

Seasonal Decline

AbstractMany avian migrants have not adjusted breeding phenology to climate warming resulting in negative consequences for their offspring. We studied seasonal changes in reproductive success of the greater snow goose (Anser caerulescens atlantica), a long-distance migrant. As the climate warms and plant phenology advances, the mismatch between the timing of gosling hatch and peak nutritive quality of plants will increase. We predicted that optimal laying date yielding highest reproductive success occurred earlier over time and that the seasonal decline in reproductive success increased. Over 25 years, reproductive success of early breeders increased by 42%, producing a steeper seasonal decline in reproductive success. The difference between the laying date producing highest reproductive success and the median laying date of the population increased, which suggests an increase in the selection pressure for that trait. Observed clutch size was lower than clutch size yielding the highest reproductive success for most laying dates. However, at the individual level, clutch size could still be optimal if the additional time required to acquire nutrients to lay extra eggs is compensated by a reduction in reproductive success due to a delayed laying date. Nonetheless, breeding phenology may not respond sufficiently to meet future environmental changes induced by warming temperatures.

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Consequences of a changing environment on the breeding phenology and reproductive success components in a long‐distance migratory bird

Population Ecology ◽

10.1002/1438-390x.12046 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 284-296 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cynthia Reséndiz‐Infante ◽

Gilles Gauthier ◽

Guillaume Souchay

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Breeding Phenology ◽

Long Distance ◽

Changing Environment

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Annual variation in long-distance dispersal driven by breeding and non-breeding season climatic conditions in a migratory bird

Ecography ◽

10.1111/ecog.01196 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 38 (10) ◽

pp. 1006-1014 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Clark S. Rushing ◽

Michele R. Dudash ◽

Colin E. Studds ◽

Peter P. Marra

Keyword(s):

Breeding Season ◽

Annual Variation ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Long Distance Dispersal ◽

Long Distance

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Winter habitat quality but not long-distance breeding dispersal influences apparent reproductive success in a migratory bird

Ecology ◽

10.1890/15-1259 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Clark S. Rushing ◽

Peter P. Marra ◽

Michele R. Dudash

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Habitat Quality ◽

Migratory Bird ◽

Breeding Dispersal ◽

Long Distance ◽

Winter Habitat

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Nutritional imbalance suppresses migratory phenotypes of the Mongolian locust ( Oedaleus asiaticus )

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.161039 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (6) ◽

pp. 161039 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Arianne J. Cease ◽

Jon F. Harrison ◽

Shuguang Hao ◽

Danielle C. Niren ◽

Guangming Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Poor Quality ◽

Developmental Changes ◽

High Population Density ◽

Long Distance ◽

High Quality ◽

Flight Behaviour ◽

Species Migration ◽

Quality Food ◽

Proximate Factors ◽

Nutritional Imbalance

For many species, migration evolves to allow organisms to access better resources. However, the proximate factors that trigger these developmental changes, and how and why these vary across species, remain poorly understood. One prominent hypothesis is that poor-quality food promotes development of migratory phenotypes and this has been clearly shown for some polyphenic insects. In other animals, particularly long-distance bird migrants, it is clear that high-quality food is required to prepare animals for a successful migration. We tested the effect of diet quality on the flight behaviour and morphology of the Mongolian locust, Oedaleus asiaticus . Locusts reared at high population density and fed low-N grass (performance-enhancing for this species) had enhanced migratory morphology relative to locusts fed high-N grass. Furthermore, locusts fed synthetic diets with an optimal 1 : 2 protein : carbohydrate ratio flew for longer times than locusts fed diets with lower or higher protein : carbohydrate ratios. In contrast to the hypothesis that performance-degrading food should enhance migration, our results support the more nuanced hypothesis that high-quality diets promote development of migratory characteristics when migration is physiologically challenging.

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