Environmental Conditions Affect the Behavior of Captive, Migratory White-Crowned Sparrows

Ramenofsky, Marilyn; Agatsuma, Renée; Ramfar, Trisha

doi:10.1525/cond.2008.8523

Cited by 29 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…Prior to the appearance of migratory restlessness, both subspecies showed elevated activity early and late in the photophase coinciding with bouts of feeding (Agatsuma and Ramenofsky, 2006;Coverdill et al, 2011;Ramenofsky et al, 2008). Such observations highlight the behavioral and physiological similarities of the two subspecies during the winter stage.…”

Section: Migratory Behaviormentioning

confidence: 63%

“…Extensive analyses of the 24 h locomotor recordings of both migrant and resident white-crowned sparrows have identified distinguishing features during the spring migratory stage: (1) maximal nocturnal activity exceeds that of the photophase (light phase) (Coverdill et al, 2006;Ramenofsky et al, 2008) and (2) expression of the intense nocturnal activity commences with onset of the scotophase (dark phase). In the present study, we used these criteria to verify that the elevated nocturnal locomotor activity was in fact expression of migratory restlessness in the spring migrants.…”

Section: Migratory Restlessnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behavioral and physiological traits of migrant and resident White-crowned Sparrows: a common garden approach

Ramenofsky

Campion

Krause

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

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To accommodate a migratory life history, migrants express a greater number of physiological and behavioral stages per annum than residents and are thus considered to have higher finite state diversity (FSD). To investigate the physiological mechanisms and constraints associated with migration, direct comparison of two subspecies of white-crowned sparrow -migrant, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, and resident, Z. l. nuttalli -were made under common garden conditions of photoperiod and housing, as birds progressed from winter through the vernal life history stages. We tested the hypothesis that migrants (higher FSD) respond differently than residents (lower FSD) to the initial predictive cue, photoperiod, to initiate and integrate the progression of vernal stages of prenuptial molt, migration and development of breeding. If differences in vernal phenology were noted, then the basis for the distinctions was considered genetic. Results indicate that (1) residents had a lower threshold to vernal photoperiod with elevations of plasma androgen, growth and development of reproductive structures preceding those of migrants; (2) only migrants displayed prenuptial molt, preparations for migration and migratory restlessness; and (3) neither baseline nor stress-induced plasma corticosterone differed across subspecies, suggesting energetic demands of the common garden were insufficient to induce a differential adrenocortical response in either subspecies, highlighting the impact of environmental conditions on corticosterone secretion. Thus, in a common garden experiment, Z. l. gambelii responds differently to the initial predictive cue, photoperiod, to initiate and execute the vernal stages of molt, migration and development of breeding in comparison to the shared stage of breeding with Z. l. nuttalli, confirming a genetic basis for the subspecies differences.

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Section: Migratory Behaviormentioning

confidence: 63%

Section: Migratory Restlessnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral and physiological traits of migrant and resident White-crowned Sparrows: a common garden approach

Ramenofsky

Campion

Krause

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…In three-spine sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ), for example, environmental variability in the presence of predators masks genetic variation related to several behavioral traits 71 . Similarly, many environmental cues, such as temperature and precipitation, modulate migratory behavior 9 ; such environmental modulators may account for some of the differences between junco populations and may mask the effects of variation in CLOCK and ADCYAP1 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in candidate genes CLOCK and ADCYAP1 does not consistently predict differences in migratory behavior in the songbird genus Junco

et al. 2013

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Recent studies exploring the molecular genetic basis for migratory variation in animals have identified polymorphisms in two genes ( CLOCK and ADCYAP1) that are linked to circadian rhythms and correlate with migratory propensity and phenology among individuals and populations. Results from these initial studies are mixed, however, and additional data are needed to assess the generality and diversity of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the biology of migration. We sequenced CLOCK and ADCYAP1 in 15 populations across the two species of the avian genus Junco, a North American lineage in which multiple recently diverged subspecies and populations range from sedentary to long-distance migrants. We found no consistent associations between allele length and migratory status across the genus for either CLOCK or ADCYAP1. However, within two subspecies groups, populations that migrate longer distances have longer CLOCK alleles on average. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between ADCYAP1 allele length and migratory restlessness (zugunruhe) among individuals within one of two captive populations studied—a result similar to those reported previously within captive blackcaps ( Sylvia atricapilla). We conclude that, while both ADCYAP1 and CLOCK may correlate with migratory propensity within or among certain populations or species, previously identified relationships between migratory behavior and sequence variants cannot be easily generalized across taxa.

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“…Some studies have applied individualspecific criteria, e.g. nocturnal activity relative to diurnal activity (Ramenofsky et al 2008), or white-noise techniques (Helm and Gwinner 2006). However, unlike changepoint analysis, these measures were not specific to the seasonal features of Zugunruhe.…”

Section: Changepoint Analysis As a Quantitative Tool For Zugunruhementioning

confidence: 99%

Programmed and flexible: long‐term Zugunruhe data highlight the many axes of variation in avian migratory behaviour

Doren

Liedvogel

Helm

2017

Journal of Avian Biology

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Studies of Zugunruhe – the ‘migratory restlessness’ behaviour of captive birds – have been integral to our understanding of animal migration, revealing an inherited propensity to migrate and an endogenous timing and navigation system. However, differences between Zugunruhe in captivity and migration in the wild call for more data, in particular on variation within and among taxa with diverse migration strategies. Here, we characterise Zugunruhe in a long‐term dataset of activity profiles from stonechats (genus Saxicola) with diverse migratory phenotypes (976 migration periods from 414 birds), using a flexible and consistent quantitative approach based on changepoint analysis. For east African, Austrian, Irish, and Siberian stonechats and hybrids, we report key inter‐population differences in the occurrence, timing, and intensity of Zugunruhe. In line with expectations, we found the highest Zugunruhe intensity in the longest‐distance migrants, more variable patterns in short‐distance migrants, and intermediate characteristics of hybrids relative to their parental groups. Inter‐population differences imply high evolutionary lability of Zugunruhe timing within a robustly structured annual cycle. However, counter to theory, Irish partial migrants showed no segregation between migrant and resident individuals, and previously reported nocturnal restlessness was confirmed for resident African stonechats. Further features of nocturnal restlessness that did not align with migratory behaviour of stonechats were juvenile nocturnal restlessness even prior to postjuvenile moult, and protandry in spring, although stonechats winter in heterosexual pairs. Importantly, Zugunruhe of all populations declined with age, and the intensity of an individual bird's Zugunruhe was correlated with activity levels during other parts of the annual cycle. Our results confirm endogenous, population‐specific migration programmes but also reveal apparent discrepancies between Zugunruhe and migration in the wild. We thus highlight both the continued potential of Zugunruhe study and the need for circumspect interpretation when using migratory restlessness to make inferences about migration in the wild.

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Environmental Conditions Affect the Behavior of Captive, Migratory White-Crowned Sparrows

Cited by 29 publications

References 50 publications

Behavioral and physiological traits of migrant and resident White-crowned Sparrows: a common garden approach

Behavioral and physiological traits of migrant and resident White-crowned Sparrows: a common garden approach

Variation in candidate genes CLOCK and ADCYAP1 does not consistently predict differences in migratory behavior in the songbird genus Junco

Programmed and flexible: long‐term Zugunruhe data highlight the many axes of variation in avian migratory behaviour

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