Migration distance affects how closely Eurasian wigeons follow spring phenology during migration

Background The timing of migration for herbivorous migratory birds is thought to coincide with spring phenology as emerging vegetation supplies them with the resources to fuel migration, and, in species with a capital breeding strategy also provides individuals with energy for use on the breeding grounds. Individuals with very long migration distances might however have to trade off between utilising optimal conditions en route and reaching the breeding grounds early, potentially leading to them overtaking spring on the way. Here, we investigate whether migration distance affects how closely individually tracked Eurasian wigeons follow spring phenology during spring migration. Methods We captured wigeons in the Netherlands and Lithuania and tracked them throughout spring migration to identify staging sites and timing of arrival. Using temperature-derived indicators of spring phenology, we investigated how maximum longitude reached and migration distance affected how closely wigeons followed spring. We further estimated the impact of tagging on wigeon migration by comparing spring migratory timing between tracked individuals and ring recovery data sets. Results Wigeons migrated to locations between 300 and 4000 km from the capture site, and migrated up to 1000 km in a single day. We found that wigeons migrating to more north-easterly locations followed spring phenology more closely, and increasingly so the greater distance they had covered during migration. Yet we also found that despite tags equalling only around 2% of individual’s body mass, individuals were on average 11–12 days slower than ring-marked individuals from the same general population. Discussion Overall, our results suggest that migratory strategy can vary dependent on migration distance within species, and even within the same migratory corridor. Individual decisions thus depend not only on environmental cues, but potentially also trade-offs made during later life-history stages.

A multiple hypotheses framework to study movement ecology and diet in a migratory songbird

Whether and how migratory organisms exhibit inter-individual behavioral and/or physiological variation across movement strategies remains an open question. The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is a migratory songbird known for its intra-species variation displayed in relation to morphology, song repertoires, and migration. Thus, studies focusing on juncos can reveal how migratory strategy may covary with other individual-scale factors and, therefore, identify the selective forces driving intra-species variations throughout its distribution. We used Dark-eyed Junco hydrogen stable isotope feather values (delta2H) and implemented a Bayesian framework to infer the breeding and molting origin of migratory juncos captured on their winter grounds in Oklahoma, United States (U.S.). We modeled the distribution of feather hydrogen stable isotope values as a function of five morphological variables including body mass and fat deposition measured in Oklahoma during the winter. We then investigated the trade-off between longer and more energetically costly migration strategies in relation to diet preferences through carbon (delta13C) and nitrogen (delta15N) stable isotope analysis from feather values. Dark-eyed Juncos wintering in south central U.S. likely originate from multiple breeding populations in northern U.S. and Canada. Body condition at the wintering ground (e.g., mass) had no effect on feather hydrogen stable isotope abundance. However, we found a positive correlation between nitrogen and hydrogen stable isotopes, suggesting that a trophic level shift towards insect consumption might occur in individuals migrating from southern latitudes. Increased insect-derived protein consumption might be explained by reduced fatty-acid reserves necessary to complete a shorter migratory journey.

Seasonal Patterns of Fat Deposits in Relation to Migratory Strategy in Facultative Migrants

Physiological preparations for migration generally reflect migratory strategy. Migrant birds fuel long-distance flight primarily with lipids, but carrying excess fuel is costly; thus, the amount of fat deposited prior to departure often reflects the anticipated flight duration or distance between refueling bouts. Seasonal pre-migratory deposition of fat is well documented in regular seasonal migrants, but is less described for more facultative species. We analyze fat deposits of free-living birds across several taxa of facultative migrants in the songbird subfamily Carduelinae, including house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), American goldfinches (Spinus tristis), pine siskins (Spinus pinus) and four different North American ecotypes of red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra), to evaluate seasonal fat deposition during facultative migratory periods. Our data suggest that the extent of seasonal fat deposits corresponds with migratory tendency in these facultative taxa. Specifically, nomadic red crossbills with a seasonally predictable annual movement demonstrated relatively large seasonal fat deposits coincident with the migratory periods. In contrast, pine siskins, thought to be more variable in timing and initiation of nomadic movements, had smaller peaks in fat deposits during the migratory season, and the partial migrant American goldfinch and the resident house finch showed no peaks coincident with migratory periods. Within the red crossbills, those ecotypes that are closely associated with pine habitats showed larger peaks in fat deposits coincident with autumn migratory periods and had higher wing loading, whereas those ecotypes associated with spruces, Douglas-fir and hemlocks showed larger peaks coincident with spring migratory periods and lower wing loading. We conclude that population averages of fat deposits do reflect facultative migration strategies in these species, as well as the winter thermogenic challenges at the study locations. A difference in seasonal fattening and wing loading among red crossbill ecotypes is consistent with the possibility that they differ in their migratory biology, and we discuss these differences in light of crossbill reproductive schedules and phenologies of different conifer species.

Drivers and Consequences of Partial Migration in an Alpine Bird Species

1. Partial migration, where a portion of the population migrates between winter and summer (breeding) areas and the rest remain year-round resident, is a common phenomenon across several taxonomic groups. Yet, although several hypotheses have been put forward to explain why some individuals migrate while others stay resident – as well as the fitness consequences of the different strategies – the drivers and consequences of the decision to migrate or not are poorly understood. 2. We used data from radio-tagged female (n=73) willow ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus in an alpine study area in Central Norway to test if i) the decision to migrate was dependent on individual state variables (age and body size), ii) individuals repeated migratory behaviour between seasons, and iii) the choice of migratory strategy was related to nesting performance.3. Partially supporting our prediction that migratory strategy depends on individual state, we found that juvenile birds with small body sizes were more likely to migrate whereas large juveniles stayed resident. For adult females, we found no relationship between migratory strategy and body weight. We found strong evidence for high individual repeatability of migratory strategy between seasons. Migratory strategy did not explain variation in nesting performance among individuals, suggesting no direct influence of the chosen strategy on nesting success. 4. Our results indicate that partial migration in willow ptarmigan is determined by juvenile body weight, and that migratory behaviour becomes a part of the individual life history as a fixed strategy. Nesting success was not affected by migratory strategy in our study population, but future studies should assess other traits to further test potential fitness consequences.

Energetic state and the continuum of migratory tactics in brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Alternative migratory tactics, like partial migration, are common in many taxa. The proximate and ultimate drivers underpinning these strategies are unclear, though factors like condition and energetic status have been posited as important predictors. We sampled and PIT tagged 1882 wild brown trout prior to the first so-called decision window, and explored the links between migratory tactics (residency, autumn or spring migration) and body metrics (length and condition), lipids (triglycerides and cholesterol), and sex, in 150 randomly selected individuals. We found that more females adopted the autumn and spring migration tactic than males, while more males adopted the residency tactic than females, likely reflecting sex-biased benefits in anadromy. We also found that autumn migrants were in poorer condition prior to the presumed first decision window than spring migrants and residents. Lastly, we found that both condition and cholesterol were positively correlated to the timing of migration, such that individuals in poorer condition and/or with lower cholesterol migrated earlier. Collectively, these results suggest that energy depletion is an important factor in determining migratory strategy, including timing.

Size-dependent growth tactics of a partially migratory fish before migration

For migratory species, attaining enough large size before migration is a key mechanism of individuals for their success in risky migration. Since the smaller migrants suffer from high mortality during migration, prospective migrants with smaller size should grow better than larger ones before migration. To test this prediction, we investigated size-dependent patterns of the two growth mechanisms (i.e., growth rate and duration) of juvenile masu salmon (Onchorynchus masou) before their oceanic migration. Masu salmon exhibit a partial migratory strategy, in which single population consists of oceanic migrants and river-dwelling residents. Our individual mark-recapture survey and assessment of the river-descending timing by PIT-tag antenna-reader system revealed that patterns of growth rate in the pre-migration period and the timing of migration correspond with our predictions. For around half-year before outmigration (i.e., between after decision of migration and before start of migration), the prospective migrants showed the size-dependent growth rate, in which individuals with smaller size exhibited higher growth rate than those with larger size, but the residents showed the size-independent growth rate. In addition, the prospective migrants showed the size-dependent timing of outmigration, in which individuals with smaller size delayed the migration timing than those with larger size, to lengthen the duration of pre-migration period. These results suggest that size-selective mortality during migration has shaped size-dependent adjustment of the pre-migration growth in migratory masu salmon. Conditional changes in growth rate and duration of pre-migration period may be an adaptive tactic for the migratory animals.

Carryover effects of long-distance avian migration are weaker than effects of breeding environment in a partially migratory bird

Migration may expose individuals to a wide range of increasing anthropogenic threats. In addition to direct mortality effects, this exposure may influence post-migratory reproductive fitness. Partial migration—where a population comprises migrants and residents—represents a powerful opportunity to explore carryover effects of migration. Studies of partial migration in birds typically examine short-distance systems; here we studied an unusual system where residents breed in mixed colonies alongside long-distance trans-Saharan migrants (lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) in Spain). Combining geolocator data, stable isotope analysis and resighting data, we examined the effects of this stark difference in migratory strategy on body condition, breeding phenology and breeding success. We monitored four colonies in two regions of southern Spain for five consecutive years (2014–2018), yielding 1962 captures, determining migratory strategy for 141 adult bird-years. Despite a 3000-km difference in distance travelled, we find no effect of strategy on breeding parameters. We find weak evidence for a short-term negative carryover effect of migration on body condition, but this was only apparent in the breeding region with lower primary productivity. Our results indicate that carryover effects of even highly divergent migratory strategies may be minimal relative to effects of conditions experienced on breeding grounds.