Migration routes and wintering areas of male Red‐winged Blackbirds as determined using geolocators

Abstract Diverse spatio-temporal aspects of avian migration rely on relatively rigid endogenous programs. However, flexibility in migratory behavior may allow effective coping with unpredictable variation in ecological conditions that can occur during migration. We aimed at characterizing inter- and intraindividual variation of migratory behavior in a forest-dwelling wader species, the Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola, focusing on spatio-temporal consistency across repeated migration episodes. By satellite-tracking birds from their wintering sites along the Italian peninsula to their breeding areas, we disclosed a remarkable variability in migration distances, with some birds flying more than 6,000 km to Central Asian breeding grounds (up to 101°E). Prebreeding migration was faster and of shorter duration than postbreeding migration. Birds moving over longer distances migrated faster during prebreeding migration, and those breeding at northernmost latitudes left their wintering areas earlier. Moreover, birds making longer migrations departed earlier from their breeding sites. Breeding site fidelity was very high, whereas fidelity to wintering areas increased with age. Migration routes were significantly consistent, both among repeated migration episodes and between pre- and postbreeding migration. Prebreeding migration departure date was not significantly repeatable, whereas arrival date to the breeding areas was highly repeatable. Hence, interindividual variation in migratory behavior of woodcocks was mostly explained by the location of the breeding areas, and spatial consistency was relatively large through the entire annual cycle. Flexibility in prebreeding migration departure date may suggest that environmental effects have a larger influence on temporal than on spatial aspects of migratory behavior.

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Migratory connectivity and population-specific migration routes in a long-distance migratory bird

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2013.2897 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 281 (1778) ◽

pp. 20132897 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Christiane Trierweiler ◽

Raymond H. G. Klaassen ◽

Rudi H. Drent ◽

Klaus-Michael Exo ◽

Jan Komdeur ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Migratory Bird ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Migratory Connectivity ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Long Distance ◽

Comprehensive Overview ◽

Migration System ◽

Breeding Populations ◽

Wintering Areas

Knowledge about migratory connectivity, the degree to which individuals from the same breeding site migrate to the same wintering site, is essential to understand processes affecting populations of migrants throughout the annual cycle. Here, we study the migration system of a long-distance migratory bird, the Montagu's harrier Circus pygargus , by tracking individuals from different breeding populations throughout northern Europe. We identified three main migration routes towards wintering areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Wintering areas and migration routes of different breeding populations overlapped, a pattern best described by ‘weak (diffuse) connectivity’. Migratory performance, i.e. timing, duration, distance and speed of migration, was surprisingly similar for the three routes despite differences in habitat characteristics. This study provides, to our knowledge, a first comprehensive overview of the migration system of a Palaearctic-African long-distance migrant. We emphasize the importance of spatial scale (e.g. distances between breeding populations) in defining patterns of connectivity and suggest that knowledge about fundamental aspects determining distribution patterns, such as the among-individual variation in mean migration directions, is required to ultimately understand migratory connectivity. Furthermore, we stress that for conservation purposes it is pivotal to consider wintering areas as well as migration routes and in particular stopover sites.

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Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur migration routes and wintering areas revealed using satellite telemetry

Bird Study ◽

10.1080/00063657.2016.1185086 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 63 (3) ◽

pp. 425-429 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Hervé Lormee ◽

Jean-Marie Boutin ◽

David Pinaud ◽

Herve Bidault ◽

Cyril Eraud

Keyword(s):

Satellite Telemetry ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Wintering Areas ◽

Turtle Dove ◽

Streptopelia Turtur

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Inversions maintain differences between migratory phenotypes of a songbird

10.1101/2021.04.05.438456 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Max Lundberg ◽

Alexander Mackintosh ◽

Anna Petri ◽

Staffan Bensch

Keyword(s):

Environmental Gradients ◽

Segmental Duplications ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Long Distance ◽

Local Adaptations ◽

Functional Differences ◽

Long Read ◽

Wintering Areas ◽

Genome Assemblies ◽

Chromosome Regions

Long-distance migration requires adaptations in a suite of behavioral, physiological and morphological traits. However, almost nothing is known about the genetic basis of these adaptations. The willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus occurs in Europe with a northern and southern subspecies that show drastically different migration routes and wintering areas. Previous studies have demonstrated that the subspecies are genetically extremely similar except for three divergent chromosome regions, of which two are associated with the differences in migratory phenotypes and one is associated with an environmental gradient. Here we use a combination of long-read sequencing, linked-read sequencing and optical mapping to construct more complete and contiguous assemblies for both of the subspecies. We find evidence for inversions in each of the three divergent regions, which range from 0.4 to 13 Mb in size, and that breakpoints are associated with tandem repeat arrays or segmental duplications. The divergence times between inverted and non-inverted haplotypes are similar across the regions (~1.2 Myrs), which is compatible with a scenario where the inversions arose in either of two allopatric populations that subsequently hybridized. The improved genome assemblies and annotation also allowed us to detect additional functional differences in the divergent regions that provide candidate genes for migration and local adaptations to environmental gradients.

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Determining the migration routes and wintering areas of Asian sparrowhawks through satellite telemetry

Global Ecology and Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01837 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e01837

Author(s):

Andrew J. Pierce ◽

Chukiat Nualsri ◽

Kaset Sutasha ◽

Philip D. Round

Keyword(s):

Satellite Telemetry ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Wintering Areas

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Migration and Ranging of Peregrine Falcons Wintering on the Gulf of Mexico Coast, Tamaulipas, Mexico

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/104.1.39 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 104 (1) ◽

pp. 39-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Michael J. McGrady ◽

Thomas L. Maechtle ◽

Juan J. Vargas ◽

William S. Seegar ◽

M. Catalina Porras Peña

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Falco Peregrinus ◽

Minimum Convex Polygon ◽

Male Adult ◽

Wintering Grounds ◽

Peregrine Falcons ◽

Wintering Areas ◽

Mexico Coast

Abstract Movements of 11 female and 1 male adult Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) wintering in coastal Gulf of Mexico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, were monitored with satellite-received transmitters (PTTs), 1997–1998. Median areas for minimum convex polygon winter home ranges at 50% and 90% levels (both years) were 1173 and 8311 ha, respectively. Most birds left wintering grounds in the first week of May. Duration of northward migration averaged 30 days. Distances between capture location and summer settling place were between 4580 and 5844 km; birds traversed 40.4–46.4 degrees of latitude. Birds summered between far western Canada and coastal west Greenland. One was followed to the same summering ground in both years. Autumnal migration routes were through the middle of the continent, and initiated in August and September. Falcons arrived on wintering grounds in September and October, averaging 40 days to make the journey. PTT data and capture locations of birds trapped in more than 1 year suggest fidelity to wintering areas, although perhaps not particular winter home ranges. Migración y Áreas de Ocurrencia de Halcones Peregrinos Invernantes en la Costa del Golfo de México, Tamaulipas, México Resumen. Entre 1997 y 1998, se monitorearon con transmisores de satellite (PTTs) los movimientos de 12 halcones peregrinos adultos (Falco peregrinus; 11 hembras y 1 macho) invernando en la costa del Golfo de México, Tamaulipas, México. Se utilizaron niveles de precisión del 50% y 90% en los polígonos mínimos estimados para describir los hambitos hogareños de invernada (en ambos años); éstos fueron de 1173 y 8311 ha, respectivamente. La mayoría de las aves abandonaron las areas de invernada en la primera semana de mayo. La duración de la migración hacia el Norte promedió 30 días. Las distancias entre los lugares donde las aves fueron capturadas y donde se establecieron en el verano variaron entre 4580 y 5844 km; así que éstas recorrieron entre 40.4 y 46.4 grados de latitud. Los halcones pasaron el verano entre el lejano oeste de Canadá y la costa oeste de Groenlandia. Uno de ellos fue seguido en ambos años hasta la misma área de veraneo. Las rutas migratorias del otoño tuvieron lugar a través del centro del continente y se iniciaron en agosto y septiembre. Los halcones peregrinos llegaron a las áreas de inviernada en septiembre y octubre, promediando 40 días para hacer el recorrido. Los datos de los PTTs e información sobre las ubicaciones de los lugares de captura de las aves atrapadas en más de un año sugieren fidelidad a las áreas de invierno, pero tal vez no a hambitos hogareños particulares.

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Trans-Equatorial Migration Routes, Staging Sites and Wintering Areas of a High-Arctic Avian Predator: The Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus)

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0064614 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. e64614 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Olivier Gilg ◽

Børge Moe ◽

Sveinn Are Hanssen ◽

Niels Martin Schmidt ◽

Benoît Sittler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Arctic ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Avian Predator ◽

Wintering Areas

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Pair bonds during the annual cycle of a long-distance migrant, the Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)

Avian Research ◽

10.1186/s40657-021-00268-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chris P. F. Redfern

Keyword(s):

Annual Cycle ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

The Arctic ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Long Distance ◽

Breeding Colony ◽

Arrival Times ◽

Pair Bonds ◽

Sterna Paradisaea ◽

Wintering Areas

Abstract Background The extent to which pairs remain together during the annual cycle is a key question in the behavioural ecology of migratory birds. While a few species migrate and winter as family units, for most the extent to which breeding partners associate in the non-breeding season is unknown. The Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) has one of the longest migrations of any species, and the aim of this study was to establish whether or not partners remain together after breeding. Methods Leg-mounted geolocators were fitted to breeding pairs of Arctic Terns nesting on the Farne Islands, Northumberland, UK. The devices were recovered for analysis the following year. Results Analysis of data for the six pairs which returned the following year showed that partners departed from the colony at different times after breeding and migrated independently to different Antarctic regions. Partners also departed from the Antarctic and turned to the breeding colony independently. One third of the pairs divorced on return. Conclusions For long-distance migrants reliant on unpredictable foraging opportunities, it may not be viable to remain as pairs away from the breeding colony. Synchrony in arrival times at the breeding colony may maximise the chance of retaining a familiar partner, but could be affected by environmental factors in wintering areas or along migration routes.

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Population Structure of Pacific Common Eiders Breeding in Alaska

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/104.4.780 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 104 (4) ◽

pp. 780-787 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Margaret R. Petersen ◽

Paul L. Flint

Keyword(s):

Gene Flow ◽

Satellite Telemetry ◽

Beaufort Sea ◽

Breeding Population ◽

Migration Routes ◽

Breeding Populations ◽

Common Eiders ◽

Survival And Reproduction ◽

Wintering Areas ◽

Wintering Area

Abstract We used satellite telemetry to study the migration routes and wintering areas of two allopatric breeding populations of Pacific Common Eiders (Somateria mollissimav-nigrum) in Alaska: the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and the western Beaufort Sea coast. Only 6% (2 of 36) of females wintered within the wintering area of the other breeding population. Both breeding populations wintered in the closest available ice-free habitat, perhaps to minimize migratory distance. Two Beaufort Sea females wintered in areas used by Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta females, implying potential gene flow among breeding areas. Yet, we conclude that these two populations are largely geographically isolated throughout the annual cycle and the environmental factors influencing survival and reproduction likely differ between these groups of birds. Thus, regardless of the potential gene flow among breeding populations, we suggest that birds from these two breeding areas should be managed as separate populations. Estructura Poblacional Reproductiva de Somateria mollissimav-nigrum en Alaska Resumen. Usamos telemetría satelital para estudiar las rutas de migración y áreas de invernada de dos poblaciones alopáticas reproductivas de Somateria mollissimav-nigrum en Alaska: la del Delta Yukon-Kuskokwim, y la de la costa oeste del Mar de Beaufort. Solo el 6% (2 de 36) de las hembras invernaron dentro del área de invernada de la otra población reproductiva. Las dos poblaciones invernaron en el hábitat libre de hielo más cercano, tal vez para minimizar la distancia de migración. Dos hembras del Mar de Beaufort invernaron en áreas usadas por hembras del Delta de Yukon-Kuskokwim, implicando un potencial flujo génico entre las áreas de reproducción. Sin embargo, concluimos que estas dos poblaciones están aisladas geográficamente a lo largo del ciclo anual y que los factores ambientales que afectan la supervivencia y reproducción son probablemente diferentes entre estos grupos de aves. Por lo tanto, a pesar del flujo génico potencial entre las poblaciones reproductivas, sugerimos que las aves de estas dos áreas de reproducción deben ser manejadas como poblaciones separadas.

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