scholarly journals Novel methods reveal shifts in migration phenology of barn swallows in South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1733) ◽  
pp. 1485-1490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Res Altwegg ◽  
Kristin Broms ◽  
Birgit Erni ◽  
Phoebe Barnard ◽  
Guy F. Midgley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Recent Climate ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Barn Swallows

Many migratory bird species, including the barn swallow ( Hirundo rustica ), have advanced their arrival date at Northern Hemisphere breeding grounds, showing a clear biotic response to recent climate change. Earlier arrival helps maintain their synchrony with earlier springs, but little is known about the associated changes in phenology at their non-breeding grounds. Here, we examine the phenology of barn swallows in South Africa, where a large proportion of the northern European breeding population spends its non-breeding season. Using novel analytical methods based on bird atlas data, we show that swallows first arrive in the northern parts of the country and gradually appear further south. On their north-bound journey, they leave South Africa rapidly, resulting in mean stopover durations of 140 days in the south and 180 days in the north. We found that swallows are now leaving northern parts of South Africa 8 days earlier than they did 20 years ago, and so shortened their stay in areas where they previously stayed the longest. By contrast, they did not shorten their stopover in other parts of South Africa, leading to a more synchronized departure across the country. Departure was related to environmental variability, measured through the Southern Oscillation Index. Our results suggest that these birds gain their extended breeding season in Europe partly by leaving South Africa earlier, and thus add to scarce evidence for phenology shifts in the Southern Hemisphere.

A detailed description of the breeding season of a community of birds on the south-east coast of Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Guppy ◽  
Anthony Overs ◽  
Sarah Guppy
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Avian Diversity ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
The South ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
The Many

ABSTRACT The details of a breeding season have been investigated and described for many bird species and groups of species, but rarely for an entire breeding community. The collection of such data is the only way of quantifying the number of birds a habitat can support, how many fledglings it can produce, and the avian diversity that can exist in the habitat. Without these quantitative and qualitative measures, the significance of particular habitats for avian conservation is difficult to assess. We have accumulated comprehensive data on a breeding bird community on a 10 ha site for eight seasons, which has enabled us to condense the many aspects of breeding into an ‘average’ breeding season. The breeding community consisted of 44 species, which used all of the site for nesting. Some species bred each season, while others bred as infrequently as once in the eight seasons. Nesting occurred between the beginning of August and the end of January, different species showed markedly different starting and finishing times, and there were different temporal patterns of breeding within the breeding periods of the different species. The number of pairs that bred on the site varied each season, a pattern that we have previously shown to be related to the value of the Southern Oscillation Index before the start of the season. Nest success rates varied considerably between species, but the overall success rate on the site was approximately 50%. We estimate that the spotted gum forest habitat on the south-east coast of Australia (1200 km2) produces approximately 1.5 million fledglings each season.

scholarly journals Complex Day-to-day Movements of an Alpine Passerine May Act as an Insurance Against Environmental Variability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud Gian Barras ◽  
Felix Liechti ◽  
Raphaël Arlettaz
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Species Vulnerability ◽  
Mountain Habitats ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Spring Arrival ◽  
European Mountain

Abstract Mountains naturally offer very contrasting habitat conditions, but their biodiversity is nowadays facing the extra challenge of adapting to rapid environmental shifts that are much more pronounced than in the lowlands. Among the possible adaptive responses of wildlife, intra- and inter-seasonal movements represent an important coping strategy that remains largely unexplored. We investigated the seasonal and day-to-day movements of the ring ouzel Turdus torquatus, a European mountain bird species that is declining in many parts of its distribution. We tracked individuals breeding in the Swiss Alps using geolocators, multi-sensor loggers and GPS. Of the birds traced to their non-breeding quarters, two thirds reached the Atlas Mountains while one third stayed in Spain, a region potentially more significant for overwintering than previously thought. The birds remained mostly above 1000 m throughout the annual cycle, highlighting a strict association of ring ouzels with mountain habitats. We also evidenced flexible daily elevational movements, especially upon spring arrival on the breeding grounds, which suggest adaptive potential in response to environmental variation. This study shows how modern technology can deliver deeper insights into animal movements, paving the way for refined assessments of species vulnerability to ongoing global change while providing basic conservation guidance.

scholarly journals Complex Seasonal and Day-to-day Movements of an Alpine Passerine May Act as an Insurance Against Environmental Variability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud Gian Barras ◽  
Felix Liechti ◽  
Raphaël Arlettaz
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Species Vulnerability ◽  
Mountain Habitats ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Spring Arrival ◽  
European Mountain

Abstract Mountains naturally offer very contrasted habitat conditions, but their biodiversity is nowadays facing the extra challenge of adapting to rapid environmental shifts that are much more pronounced than in the lowlands. Among the possible adaptive responses of wildlife, intra- and inter-seasonal movements represent an important coping strategy that remains largely unexplored. We investigated the seasonal and day-to-day movements of the ring ouzel Turdus torquatus, a European mountain bird species that declines in many parts of its distribution. We tracked individuals breeding in the Swiss Alps using geolocators, multi-sensor loggers and GPS. Of the birds traced to their non-breeding quarters, two thirds reached the Atlas Mountains while one third stayed in Spain, a region potentially more significant for overwintering than previously thought. The birds remained mostly above 1000 m throughout the annual cycle, highlighting a strict association of ring ouzels with mountain habitats. We also evidenced daily transhumance, especially upon spring arrival on the breeding grounds, which provides some noticeable behavioural flexibility, i.e. adaptative potential in response to environmental variation. This study shows how modern technology can deliver deeper insights into animal movements, paving the way for refined assessments of species vulnerability to ongoing global change while providing basic conservation guidance.

scholarly journals Avian Use of Agricultural Areas as Migration Stopover Sites: A Review of Crop Management Practices and Ecological Correlates

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. David Blount ◽  
Joshua J. Horns ◽  
Kyle D. Kittelberger ◽  
Montague H. C. Neate-Clegg ◽  
Çağan Hakkı Şekercioğlu
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Stopover Sites ◽  
Ecological Correlates ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Stopover Habitat ◽  
Crop Types ◽  
Agricultural Areas

An estimated 17% of migratory bird species are threatened or near threatened with extinction. This represents an enormous potential loss of biodiversity and cost to human societies due to the economic benefits that birds provide through ecosystem services and ecotourism. Conservation of migratory bird species presents many unique challenges, as these birds rely on multiple geographically distinct habitats, including breeding grounds, non-breeding grounds, and stopover sites during migration. In particular, stopover habitats are seldom studied relative to breeding and non-breeding habitats, despite their importance as refueling stations for migratory birds. In this study, we summarize the current research on the use of temporary primary crops by birds during migration and we assess the species characteristics and agricultural practices most often associated with the use of cropland as stopover habitat. First, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to document the effects various farming practices and crop types have on the abundance and diversity of migratory birds using agricultural areas for stopovers. Second, we analyzed the ecological correlates of bird species in the Northern Hemisphere that predict which species may use these areas while migrating. We ran a GLMM to test whether primary diet, diet breadth, primary habitat, habitat breadth, or realm predicted stopover use of agricultural areas. Our review suggests that particular crop types (principally rice, corn, and sunflower), as well as farming practices that result in higher non-cultivated plant diversity, encourage the use of agricultural areas by migrating birds. We found that cropland is used as stopover habitat by bird species that can utilize a large breadth of habitats, as well as species with preferences for habitat similar in structure to agricultural areas.

scholarly journals Limited flexibility in departure timing of migratory passerines at the East-Mediterranean flyway

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaara Aharon-Rotman ◽  
Gidon Perlman ◽  
Yosef Kiat ◽  
Tal Raz ◽  
Amir Balaban ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Stopover Site ◽  
Early Arrival ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Arrival Timing

AbstractThe rapid pace of current global warming lead to the advancement of spring migration in the majority of long-distance migratory bird species. While data on arrival timing to breeding grounds in Europe is plentiful, information from the African departure sites are scarce. Here we analysed changes in arrival timing at a stopover site in Israel and any links to Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) on the species-specific African non-breeding range in three migratory passerines between 2000–2017. Differences in wing length between early and late arriving individuals were also examined as a proxy for migration distance. We found that male redstart, but not females, advanced arrival to stopover site, but interestingly, not as a response to EVI phenology. Blackcap and barred warbler did not shift arrival timing significantly, although the arrival of blackcap was dependent on EVI. Barred warbler from the early arrival phase had longer wings, suggesting different populations. Our study further supports the existence species-specific migration decisions and inter-sexual differences, which may be triggered by both exogenous (local vegetation condition) and endogenous cues. Given rapid rate of changes in environmental conditions at higher latitudes, some migrants may experience difficulty in the race to match global changes to ensure their survival.

scholarly journals Climate change exposure of waterbird species in the African-Eurasian flyways

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
SZABOLCS NAGY ◽  
FRANK T. BREINER ◽  
MIRA ANAND ◽  
STUART H. M. BUTCHART ◽  
MARTINA FLÖRKE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Waterbird Species ◽  
Current Passage

Summary Climate change presents a particularly complex challenge in the context of flyway scale conservation of migratory bird species as it requires coordinated action by multiple countries along these species’ migratory routes. Coordinating conservation responses requires understanding the vulnerability of species and their habitats to climate change at the flyway scale throughout each species’ annual cycle. To contribute to such understanding, we used species distribution models to assess the exposure to climate change of waterbird species that are the focus of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). We found that the species with the smallest proportion of their current range projected to be climatically suitable by 2050 (those whose distributions respond to changes in water availability but that do not perform synchronised migration) are dispersive species in the Afrotropical biogeographic realm, and migratory species in their breeding season, particularly Arctic breeding waders. These species also have the most limited availability of newly suitable areas. Projections for most other Palearctic migratory waterbird species suggest that losses of suitable areas in their current passage and wintering ranges may be largely offset by new areas becoming climatically suitable. The majority of migratory Palearctic waterbirds in the breeding season and Afrotropical waterbirds are widely dispersed with only a small proportion of their populations currently supported by ‘Critical Sites’ (i.e. sites that are either important for Globally Threatened Species or support 1% of the bioregional population of any waterbird species). This makes it unlikely that climate change adaptation measures focusing only on key sites will be sufficient to counter the predicted range losses. Therefore, climate change adaptation responses should also be implemented at the landscape scale for Afrotropical waterbirds and for breeding populations of Palearctic migrant waterbirds.

scholarly journals Migratory connectivity of barn swallows in South Africa to their Palaearctic breeding grounds

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 1699-1708
Author(s):  
Marc S. Burman ◽  
Leslie G. Underhill ◽  
Res Altwegg ◽  
Birgit Erni ◽  
Magdalena Remisiewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Migratory Connectivity ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Barn Swallows

scholarly journals Spatio-temporal associations of albacore CPUEs in the Northeastern Pacific with regional SST and climate environmental variables

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 1717-1727 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Jason Phillips ◽  
Lorenzo Ciannelli ◽  
Richard D. Brodeur ◽  
William G. Pearcy ◽  
John Childers
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Spatial Dynamics ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Variable Effect ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The North ◽  
Additive Mixed Models

Abstract This study investigated the spatial distribution of juvenile North Pacific albacore (Thunnus alalunga) in relation to local environmental variability [i.e. sea surface temperature (SST)], and two large-scale indices of climate variability, [the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Multivariate El Niño/Southern Oscillation Index (MEI)]. Changes in local and climate variables were correlated with 48 years of albacore troll catch per unit effort (CPUE) in 1° latitude/longitude cells, using threshold Generalized Additive Mixed Models (tGAMMs). Model terms were included to account for non-stationary and spatially variable effects of the intervening covariates on albacore CPUE. Results indicate that SST had a positive and spatially variable effect on albacore CPUE, with increasingly positive effects to the North, while PDO had an overall negative effect. Although albacore CPUE increased with SST both before and after a threshold year of 1986, such effect geographically shifted north after 1986. This is the first study to demonstrate the non-stationary spatial dynamics of albacore tuna, linked with a major shift of the North Pacific. Results imply that if ocean temperatures continue to increase, US west coast fisher communities reliant on commercial albacore fisheries are likely to be negatively affected in the southern areas but positively affected in the northern areas, where current albacore landings are highest.

scholarly journals Migration‐tracking integrated phylogeography supports long‐distance dispersal‐driven divergence for a migratory bird species in the Japanese archipelago

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Aoki ◽  
Haruna Sakamoto ◽  
Munehiro Kitazawa ◽  
Alexey P. Kryukov ◽  
Masaoki Takagi
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Long Distance Dispersal ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Japanese Archipelago ◽  
The Japanese Archipelago

scholarly journals Female song in the Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Patchett ◽  
Alexander N. G. Kirschel ◽  
Joanna Robins King ◽  
Patrick Styles ◽  
Will Cresswell
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Territorial Defence ◽  
Multiple Functions ◽  
Male Song ◽  
Female Song ◽  
Mate Acquisition

AbstractFemale song is widespread across bird species yet rarely reported. Here, we report the first observations and description of female song in the Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca and compare it to male song through the breeding season. Twenty-five percent of colour-ringed females were observed singing at least once, predominantly in April, compared to 71% of males that continued singing through the breeding period. We suggest that female song may have multiple functions in this species, but it may be especially important in territorial defence and mate acquisition.

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