Corticosterone predicts nocturnal restlessness in a long-distance migrant

Eikenaar, Cas; Klinner, Thomas; Stöwe, Mareike

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.013

Cited by 31 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Thus, we find no evidence for a role of corticosterone in the transition to a spring migratory state in pine siskins. This is in contrast to a number of studies from obligate migrants in which elevated diurnal corticosterone levels correspond to the expression of migratory restlessness in captive birds and migratory departures in free-living birds [15,19,20]. We caution, however, that interpretation of our results may be limited as blood samples were collected during morning hours, not during the night.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 88%

Increasing photoperiod stimulates the initiation of spring migratory behaviour and physiology in a facultative migrant, the pine siskin

2018

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The transition to a migratory state involves coordinated changes in physiology and behaviour. In species with regular, predictable (obligate) migrations, increasing day length triggers the expression of a spring migratory state and androgens play an important role in stimulating its development. By contrast, we know little about the environmental cues and endocrine mechanisms that regulate migration in species with less predictable (facultative) migrations. Here, we tested whether photoperiod stimulates a migratory state in a facultative nomadic migrant, the pine siskin (Spinus pinus). We exposed wintering birds to either a naturally increasing or short-day photoperiod and measured physiological and behavioural changes indicative of a migratory state. We also examined changes in circulating hormones that may play a role in the migratory transition. Natural-day, but not short-day, birds displayed physiological preparations for migration, including increases in fat deposition, and showed increased levels of migratory restlessness. We found no evidence for a role of corticosterone in the migratory transition, but testosterone may be important. This study is the first experimental test of the role of photoperiod in regulating facultative migration and demonstrates that the predictive cue used by many obligate migrants to time spring migration is also important in a facultative migrant.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 88%

Increasing photoperiod stimulates the initiation of spring migratory behaviour and physiology in a facultative migrant, the pine siskin

2018

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“…In white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelli) corticosterone levels were higher in spring than in autumn (Romero et al, 1997), whereas the opposite pattern was found in western sandpipers (Calidris mauri, O'Reilly and Wingfield, 2003). Corticosterone levels were not different between the seasons in semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pussila, Tsipoura et al, 1999), nor in northern wheatears (Eikenaar et al, , 2014a. Similarly, in the current study corticosterone levels in migrating blackbirds were not different in spring and autumn.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

“…Corticosterone is closely associated with locomotor activity (Landys et al, 2006), and correspondingly, thought to be involved in take-off from stopover sites (Landys-Cianelli et al, 2002;Lõhmus et al, 2003;Eikenaar et al, , 2014a. Because on Helgoland most migrant blackbirds stay only one or two days (Raiss, 1979;Ommo Hüppop, unpubl.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In line with this idea is the observation that, similar to other LH stages (e.g. Astheimer et al, 1992;Breuner et al, 1998), corticosterone is positively associated with locomotor activity; in migrants caught and temporarily caged at stopover, corticosterone levels were positively correlated with nocturnal migratory restlessness (Eikenaar et al, 2014a). Migratory restlessness occurs when birds in migratory disposition are confined to a limited space (Berthold, 1996 and references therein), and is an accurate proxy for individual migrants' likelihood of departure (Eikenaar et al, 2014b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

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Baseline corticosterone levels are higher in migrating than sedentary common blackbirds in autumn, but not in spring

Eikenaar

Fabbri

Klinner

et al. 2015

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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“…The glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone is elevated during long distance migrants in preparation for migration, while accumulating fat reserves for migration, and during refueling stopovers [84–86]. Elevated glucocorticoid levels could therefore be responsible for lower levels of hippocampal neurogenesis found in semipalmated sandpipers collected during their Bay of Fundy stopover.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hippocampal neurogenesis and volume in migrating and wintering semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla)

Magalhães

Diniz

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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Long distance migratory birds find their way by sensing and integrating information from a large number of cues in their environment. These cues are essential to navigate over thousands of kilometers and reach the same breeding, stopover, and wintering sites every year. The semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) is a long-distance migrant that breeds in the arctic tundra of Canada and Alaska and winters on the northeast coast of South America. Its fall migration includes a 5,300-kilometer nonstop flight over the Atlantic Ocean. The avian hippocampus has been proposed to play a central role in the integration of multisensory spatial information for navigation. Hippocampal neurogenesis may contribute to hippocampal function and a variety of factors including cognitive activity, exercise, enrichment, diet and stress influence neurogenesis in the hippocampus. We quantified hippocampal neurogenesis and volume in adult migrating and wintering semipalmated sandpipers using stereological counts of doublecortin (DCX) immunolabeled immature neurons. We found that birds captured in the coastal region of Bragança, Brazil during the wintering period had more DCX positive neurons and larger volume in the hippocampus than individuals captured in the Bay of Fundy, Canada during fall migration. We also estimate the number of NeuN immunolabeled cells in migrating and wintering birds and found no significant differences between them. These findings suggest that, at this time window, neurogenesis just replaced neurons that might be lost during the transatlantic flight. Our findings also show that in active fall migrating birds, a lower level of adult hippocampal neurogenesis is associated with a smaller hippocampal formation. High levels of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and a larger hippocampal formation found in wintering birds may be late occurring effects of long distance migratory flight or the result of conditions the birds experienced while wintering.

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Corticosterone predicts nocturnal restlessness in a long-distance migrant

Cited by 31 publications

References 45 publications

Increasing photoperiod stimulates the initiation of spring migratory behaviour and physiology in a facultative migrant, the pine siskin

Increasing photoperiod stimulates the initiation of spring migratory behaviour and physiology in a facultative migrant, the pine siskin

Baseline corticosterone levels are higher in migrating than sedentary common blackbirds in autumn, but not in spring

Hippocampal neurogenesis and volume in migrating and wintering semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla)

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