scholarly journals Seasonal changes in the altitudinal distribution of nocturnally migrating birds during autumn migration

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 150347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank A. La Sorte ◽  
Wesley M. Hochachka ◽  
Andrew Farnsworth ◽  
Daniel Sheldon ◽  
Benjamin M. Van Doren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Polar Front ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Altitudinal Distribution ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Intermediate Distance ◽  
Migrating Birds

Wind plays a significant role in the flight altitudes selected by nocturnally migrating birds. At mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, atmospheric conditions are dictated by the polar-front jet stream, whose amplitude increases in the autumn. One consequence for migratory birds is that the region’s prevailing westerly winds become progressively stronger at higher migration altitudes. We expect this seasonality in wind speed to result in migrants occupying progressively lower flight altitudes, which we test using density estimates of nocturnal migrants at 100 m altitudinal intervals from 12 weather surveillance radar stations located in the northeastern USA. Contrary to our expectations, median migration altitudes deviated little across the season, and the variance was lower during the middle of the season and higher during the beginning and especially the end of the season. Early-season migrants included small- to intermediate-sized long-distance migrants in the orders Charadriiformes and Passeriformes, and late-season migrants included large-bodied and intermediate-distance migrants in the order Anseriformes. Therefore, seasonality in the composition of migratory species, and related variation in migration strategies and behaviours, resulted in a convex–concave bounded distribution of migration altitudes. Our results provide a basis for assessing the implications for migratory bird populations of changes in mid-latitude atmospheric conditions probably occurring under global climate change.

scholarly journals Aplikasi Penderiaan Jauh atau Remote Sensing dalam Pemodelan Pengaruh Iklim terhadap Taburan Burung Hijrah Di Hutan Paya Laut Matang, Perak

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azimah Abd Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Mangrove Forest ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Climate Modeling ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Alternative Habitat ◽  
The Future ◽  
Selection Of

Climate changes especially temperature and rainfall effect the habitat selection of bird migration in mangrove area to get some food and temporary stopover. The increase and decrease of temperature and rainfall is varies between upstream to downstream. This research was done to prove that temperature and rainfall are uneven in some area even in same boundary that can give impact in habitat selection of migratory birds. This research was concern around Matang Mangrove Forest, Perak that already familiar as focal area for migratory birds. Remote Sensing application was used in this research through use of ERDAS Imagine 8.5 which is based on pixels. This application helps to model the relationship between climate, namely temperature and rainfall with distribution density of migratory birds around the study area. Climate modeling was conducted to predict the distribution of migratory bird populations in the future due to changes in temperature and rainfall over a period of 5 years and 20 years. The results of this study showed a decrease in the population of migratory birds by 6.4% for a period of 5 years and a decrease to 7.5% for the last 20 years.  Sungai Sepetang and Sungai Selinsing shown that migratory bird populations decreased continuously after 20 years. However the Sangga Besar, Teluk Kertang, Temerlok, Pulau Pasir Hitam dan Sungai Tinggi area showed an increase in the arrival of migratory birds after 20 years.  This information analysis help the related agencies in manage and maintain the area around the Matang Mangrove Forest identified potential habitat for migratory birds in the future. In addition, through this study migratory bird monitoring can be carried out systematically on a wider scope without ignoring areas that strives to be the alternative habitat for migratory birds in the future.

scholarly journals Warmer April Temperatures on Breeding Grounds Promote Earlier Nesting in a Long-Distance Migratory Bird, the Prothonotary Warbler

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Hoover ◽  
Wendy M. Schelsky
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Annual Productivity ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Arrival Dates ◽  
Prothonotary Warbler ◽  
Local Weather

Global climate change and warming are altering hemispheric and local weather patterns. Altered weather patterns have great potential to affect the phenology of life history events, such as the initiation of breeding in organisms that reproduce seasonally. Long-distance migratory birds may be particularly challenged by changes in local weather on breeding grounds because they arrive from distant locations and must commence breeding when conditions are appropriate. Here we explore the effects of local temperature on first egg dates and annual productivity in a long-distance Neotropical migratory songbird, the prothonotary warbler Protonotaria citrea. We present results from a 20-year (1994 to 2013) study documenting the detailed nesting activities of a color-marked population (average of 155 individual females each year) of warblers in southern Illinois, United States. The warblers typically arrive in April and start breeding in late April and May in our study system. We tested for an effect of local average April daily temperature and female age on first egg dates, total number of offspring produced per female, and the probability of fledging two broods. We found that warmer April temperatures promoted earlier first egg dates and higher average annual productivity in the warblers. On average, older females had earlier first egg dates than 1-year-old females, but both age groups responded similarly to local April temperatures. The reproductive gains associated with earlier first egg dates in warmer years stemmed from an increased probability of successfully fledging two broods, suggesting that earlier first egg dates do not currently create a mismatch with food (insect) resources. Earliest arrival dates of warblers to the region of our study system were not affected by local April temperatures, suggesting that females vary their first egg date based on conditions they experience/assess after their arrival. Whereas these birds currently adjust the timing of their breeding and actually produce more offspring in warmer years, continued global warming may eventually upset the current balance between arrival dates, food resources, and the commencement of nesting.

scholarly journals Migrating birds rapidly increase constitutive immune function during stopover

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 192031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cas Eikenaar ◽  
Sven Hessler ◽  
Arne Hegemann
Keyword(s):  
Immune Function ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Stopover Site ◽  
Multiple Parameters ◽  
Migratory Flight ◽  
Stopover Sites ◽  
Food Conditions ◽  
Fuel Accumulation ◽  
Migrating Birds

Migratory flight is physiologically highly demanding and has been shown to negatively affect multiple parameters of constitutive immune function (CIF), an animal's first line of physiological defence against infections. In between migratory flights, most birds make stopovers, periods during which they accumulate fuel for the next flight(s). Stopovers are also commonly thought of as periods of rest and recovery, but what this encompasses is largely undefined. Here, we show that during stopover, northern wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe, a long-distance migratory bird, can rapidly increase constitutive innate immune function. We caught and temporarily caged birds under ad libitum food conditions at a stopover site in autumn. Within 2 days, most birds significantly increased complement activity and their ability to kill microbes. Changes in immune function were not related to the birds' food intake or extent of fuel accumulation. Our study suggests that stopovers may not only be important to refuel but also to restore immune function. Additionally, the increase in CIF could help migrating birds to deal with novel pathogens they may encounter at stopover sites.

scholarly journals Transfer of nitrogen by migratory birds in the African-Western Eurasian Flyways

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-57
Author(s):  
Sofia Varriano ◽  
Julie M. Mallon ◽  
Cody Folta ◽  
Hawa Coulibaly ◽  
Kevin J. Krajcir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Nitrogen Transfer ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Atlantic Flyway ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractMigrating animals are known to play an important role in nutrient transfer over short distances; however, this phenomenon has not been well studied for long-distance migrants. In this preliminary study, we focused on nitrogen (N) transfer by 44 bird species that migrate from Eurasia to two regions in sub-Saharan Africa that fall into the lowest 10% quantile of global N-deposition (mean annual deposition ≤ 10.44 mg/m2/year). We estimated the number of birds that die during the non-breeding season in these areas and then used N content and species-specific mass values to calculate annual N-deposition rates. For these two areas of low N-deposition, we found that bird mortality contributed 0.2 – 1.1% of total nitrogen deposition, which is a relatively small proportion. Therefore, we conclude that nitrogen transfer by long-distance bird migrants using the East Atlantic Flyway and the West Asian-East African Flyway currently has limited impact on the sub-Saharan nitrogen cycle. However, it is worth noting that this impact may have been more important in the past due to larger bird populations and lower background N-deposition (i.e., less anthropogenic impact).

Climate change and maladaptive wing shortening in a long-distance migratory bird

The Auk ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 137 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Remacha ◽  
César Rodríguez ◽  
Javier de la Puente ◽  
Javier Pérez-Tris
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Phenotypic Change ◽  
Correlated Response ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Response To Selection ◽  
Long Distance

Abstract Contemporary phenotypic trends associated with global change are widely documented, but whether such trends always denote trait optimization under changed conditions remains obscure. Natural selection has shaped the wings of long-distance migratory birds to minimize the costs of transport, and new optimal wing shapes could be promoted by migration patterns altered due to global change. Alternatively, wing shape could vary as a correlated response to selection on other traits favored in a changing environment, eventually moving away from the optimal shape for migration and increasing transport costs. Data from 20 yr of monitoring 2 Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) populations breeding in central Spain, where environmental conditions for breeding have deteriorated during recent decades due to increased summer drought, show that birds have reduced wing length relative to body size over the period 1995–2014. However, long-winged nightingales survived their first round-trip migration better, and the shorter the average wing length of individuals, the stronger the survival-associated natural selection favoring longer wings. Maladaptive short wings may have arisen because the mortality costs of migration are outweighed by reproductive benefits accrued by short-winged nightingales in these populations. Assuming that the phenotypic integration of morphological and reproductive adaptations of migratory birds has a genetic basis, we hypothesize that the maladaptive trend towards shorter wings may be a correlated response to selection for moderate breeding investment in drying habitat. Our results provide evidence that contemporary phenotypic change may deviate average trait values from their optima, thereby increasing our understanding of the ecological constraints underpinning adaptation to rapid global change.

scholarly journals РОЗВИТОК КОНЦЕПЦІЇ ЦІЛІСНИХ АРЕАЛІВ ПТАХІВ: АНАЛІЗ МІГРАЦІЙНИХ ШЛЯХІВ

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
О. V. Matsyura ◽  
P. І. Gorlov ◽  
М. V. Matsyura
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Abundance Estimation ◽  
Limited Time ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Available Information

<p>Data on distribution and abundance of Ukraine migratory birds have nonsystematic character. Up to now there is no integrated evaluation of migratory bird populations’ status. The available information is of regional importance or it covers limited time period. Therefore, it is obvious to unite all the relevant information in order to establish monitoring program and work out the methodic on migratory birds abundance estimation concerning the Black-Mediterranean Sea Flyway.</p>

scholarly journals Trace elements fingerprint of feathers differs between breeding and non-breeding areas in an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird, the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Parolini ◽  
Michela Sturini ◽  
Federica Maraschi ◽  
Antonella Profumo ◽  
Alessandra Costanzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Passerine Bird ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Hirundo Rustica ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Barn Swallow ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Icp Ms ◽  
Breeding Grounds

AbstractTrace elements are widespread contaminants that can potentially threaten ecosystems and human health. Considering their distribution and toxicity, monitoring their presence in animals represents a priority in environmental risk assessment. Migratory birds have been suggested to be useful biomonitors for trace elements because they can provide information on contaminants even from remote areas that they may exploit during their life cycle. The aim of this study was to analyse the contamination fingerprint of trace elements of African non-breeding staging grounds and European breeding areas in a long-distance migratory passerine bird, the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica). We collected feathers grown in the African non-breeding grounds and those grown in the breeding areas of Northern Italy and measured the levels of 12 trace elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn) by DRC-ICP-MS. Multivariate analysis showed that elemental profiles of feathers grown in African non-breeding areas and in the Italian breeding ones clearly differed, with feathers grown in Africa showing higher concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni, but lower concentrations of As, Se and Zn, compared to those grown in Italy. In addition, levels of trace elements were age-dependent, with higher levels in older individuals than in younger ones. Our results add to the growing evidence that feathers of long-distance migratory birds are useful tools to monitor trace elements contamination profiles across continents.

A neonicotinoid insecticide reduces fueling and delays migration in songbirds

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 365 (6458) ◽  
pp. 1177-1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret L. Eng ◽  
Bridget J. M. Stutchbury ◽  
Christy A. Morrissey
Keyword(s):  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Rapid Reduction ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
Migrating Birds

Neonicotinoids are neurotoxic insecticides widely used as seed treatments, but little is known of their effects on migrating birds that forage in agricultural areas. We tracked the migratory movements of imidacloprid-exposed songbirds at a landscape scale using a combination of experimental dosing and automated radio telemetry. Ingestion of field-realistic quantities of imidacloprid (1.2 or 3.9 milligrams per kilogram body mass) by white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) during migratory stopover caused a rapid reduction in food consumption, mass, and fat and significantly affected their probability of departure. Birds in the high-dose treatment stayed a median of 3.5 days longer at the site of capture after exposure as compared with controls, likely to regain fuel stores or recover from intoxication. Migration delays can carry over to affect survival and reproduction; thus, these results confirm a link between sublethal pesticide exposure and adverse outcomes for migratory bird populations.

scholarly journals Timing avian long-distance migration: from internal clock mechanisms to global flights

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1734) ◽  
pp. 20160252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Åkesson ◽  
Mihaela Ilieva ◽  
Julia Karagicheva ◽  
Eldar Rakhimberdiev ◽  
Barbara Tomotani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Internal Clock ◽  
External Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Migrating Birds

Migratory birds regularly perform impressive long-distance flights, which are timed relative to the anticipated environmental resources at destination areas that can be several thousand kilometres away. Timely migration requires diverse strategies and adaptations that involve an intricate interplay between internal clock mechanisms and environmental conditions across the annual cycle. Here we review what challenges birds face during long migrations to keep track of time as they exploit geographically distant resources that may vary in availability and predictability, and summarize the clock mechanisms that enable them to succeed. We examine the following challenges: departing in time for spring and autumn migration, in anticipation of future environmental conditions; using clocks on the move, for example for orientation, navigation and stopover; strategies of adhering to, or adjusting, the time programme while fitting their activities into an annual cycle; and keeping pace with a world of rapidly changing environments. We then elaborate these themes by case studies representing long-distance migrating birds with different annual movement patterns and associated adaptations of their circannual programmes. We discuss the current knowledge on how endogenous migration programmes interact with external information across the annual cycle, how components of annual cycle programmes encode topography and range expansions, and how fitness may be affected when mismatches between timing and environmental conditions occur. Lastly, we outline open questions and propose future research directions. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Wild clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals’.

scholarly journals The Potential Role of Migratory Birds in the Rapid Spread of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Changing Climatic and Environmental Conditions in Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 2117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicja M. Buczek ◽  
Weronika Buczek ◽  
Alicja Buczek ◽  
Katarzyna Bartosik
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Global Climate Changes ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus Ticks ◽  
Short Time

This opinion piece highlights the role of migratory birds in the spread of ticks and their role in the circulation and dissemination of pathogens in Europe. Birds with different lifestyles, i.e., non-migrants residing in a specific area, or short-, medium-, and long-distance migrants, migrating within one or several distant geographical regions are carriers of a number of ticks and tick-borne pathogens. During seasonal migrations, birds that cover long distances over a short time and stay temporarily in different habitats can introduce tick and pathogen species in areas where they have never occurred. An increase in the geographical range of ticks as well as the global climate changes affecting the pathogens, vectors, and their hosts increase the incidence and the spread of emerging tick-borne diseases worldwide. Tick infestations of birds varied between regions depends on the rhythms of tick seasonal activity and the bird migration rhythms determined by for example, climatic and environmental factors. In areas north of latitude ca. 58°N, immature Ixodes ricinus ticks are collected from birds most frequently, whereas ticks from the Hyalomma marginatum group dominate in areas below 42°N. We concluded that the prognosis of hazards posed by tick-borne pathogens should take into account changes in the migration of birds, hosts of many epidemiologically important tick species.

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