Light pollution is greatest within migration passage areas for nocturnally-migrating birds around the world

Cabrera‐Cruz, Sergio A.; Smolinsky, Jaclyn A.; Buler, Jeffrey J.

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-21577-6

Cited by 101 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…In recent centuries, anthropogenic landscape modification has influenced much of the earth's surface, and light pollution is a clear example (Cabrera-Cruz et al 2018). Insects and birds are mostly attracted to artificial light and some incidental radar observations have recorded concentrations of insects around lights of large towns (e.g.…”

Section: Geographical Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nocturnally-migrating birds adjust flight directions, altitudes and speeds near wind turbine facilities (Mabee et al 2006, Cabrera-Cruz et al 2017. Artificial lights also disrupt the flight of migrating birds (Bruderer et al 1999, Van Doren et al 2017, Cabrera-Cruz et al 2018, particularly under poor weather and low visibility conditions (Larkin and Frase 1988), and could have implications for migrant conservation (Hüppop et al 2019).…”

Section: Box 3 Categorizing the Response Of Flying Animals To Airflowmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental effects on flying migrants revealed by radar

et al. 2019

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Migratory animals are affected by various factors during their journeys, and the study of animal movement by radars has been instrumental in revealing key influences of the environment on flying migrants. Radars enable the simultaneous tracking of many individuals of almost all sizes within the radar range during day and night, and under low visibility conditions. We review how atmospheric conditions, geographic features and human development affect the behavior of migrating insects and birds as recorded by radars. We focus on flight initiation and termination, as well as in‐flight behavior that includes changes in animal flight direction, speed and altitude. We have identified several similarities and differences in the behavioral responses of aerial migrants including an overlooked similarity in the use of thermal updrafts by very small (e.g. aphids) and very large (e.g. vultures) migrants. We propose that many aerial migrants modulate their migratory flights in relation to the interaction between atmospheric conditions and geographic features. For example, aerial migrants that encounter crosswind may terminate their flight or continue their migration and may also drift or compensate for lateral displacement depending on their position (over land, near the coast or over sea). We propose several promising directions for future research, including the development and application of algorithms for tracking insects, bats and large aggregations of animals using weather radars. Additionally, an important contribution will be the spatial expansion of aeroecological radar studies to Africa, most of Asia and South America where no such studies have been undertaken. Quantifying the role of migrants in ecosystems and specifically estimating the number of departing birds from stopover sites using low‐elevation radar scans is important for quantifying migrant–habitat relationships. This information, together with estimates of population demographics and migrant abundance, can help resolve the long‐term dynamics of migrant populations facing large‐scale environmental changes.

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Section: Geographical Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Box 3 Categorizing the Response Of Flying Animals To Airflowmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental effects on flying migrants revealed by radar

et al. 2019

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“…The importance of estimating the passage of migrants cannot be overemphasized, with a large body of literature highlighting recent declines in migratory bird populations (Askins, Lynch, & Greenberg, ; Both et al, ; Gauthreaux, ; Møller, Rubolini, & Lehikoinen, ; Nebel, Mills, McCracken, & Taylor, ; Robbins, Sauer, Greenberg, & Droege, ). Natural and anthropogenic obstacles abound for migrating birds, including predation (Cimprich & Moore, ; Loss, Will, & Marra, ), habitat degradation and destruction (Norris & Marra, ; Norris, Marra, Kyser, Sherry, & Ratcliffe, ), collisions with structures (e.g., buildings, communication towers, wind turbines) (Loss, Will, Loss, & Marra, ; Loss, Will, & Marra, ), and attraction to artificial light at night (Cabrera‐Cruz, Smolinsky, & Buler, ; Van Doren et al, ; McLaren et al, ; La Sorte, Fink, Buler, Farnsworth, & Cabrera‐Cruz, ). In addition to these factors, another fundamental challenge for migratory birds is shifts in resource availability induced by global climate change (IPCC, ), which has the potential to affect all aspects of their annual life cycle, including migration (Møller, Fiedler, & Berthold, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Holding steady: Little change in intensity or timing of bird migration over the Gulf of Mexico

Horton

Doren

Sorte

et al. 2019

Global Change Biology

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Quantifying the timing and intensity of migratory movements is imperative for understanding impacts of changing landscapes and climates on migratory bird populations. Billions of birds migrate in the Western Hemisphere, but accurately estimating the population size of one migratory species, let alone hundreds, presents numerous obstacles. Here, we quantify the timing, intensity, and distribution of bird migration through one of the largest migration corridors in the Western Hemisphere, the Gulf of Mexico (the Gulf). We further assess whether there have been changes in migration timing or intensity through the Gulf. To achieve this, we integrate citizen science (eBird) observations with 21 years of weather surveillance radar data (1995–2015). We predicted no change in migration timing and a decline in migration intensity across the time series. We estimate that an average of 2.1 billion birds pass through this region each spring en route to Nearctic breeding grounds. Annually, half of these individuals pass through the region in just 18 days, between April 19 and May 7. The western region of the Gulf showed a mean rate of passage 5.4 times higher than the central and eastern regions. We did not detect an overall change in the annual numbers of migrants (2007–2015) or the annual timing of peak migration (1995–2015). However, we found that the earliest seasonal movements through the region occurred significantly earlier over time (1.6 days decade−1). Additionally, body mass and migration distance explained the magnitude of phenological changes, with the most rapid advances occurring with an assemblage of larger‐bodied shorter‐distance migrants. Our results provide baseline information that can be used to advance our understanding of the developing implications of climate change, urbanization, and energy development for migratory bird populations in North America.

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“…This uncertainty is compounded by the effects of other global change processes that are known to affect migratory bird populations; e.g. land-use change (La Sorte et al 2017a, Zurell et al 2018) and nighttime light pollution (La Sorte et al 2017b, Van Doren et al 2017, Cabrera-Cruz et al 2018). Nevertheless, our findings do provide a basis to identify the geographic regions and seasons where novel climates will first emerge, and where the initial pressure to respond or adapt will be the most pronounced.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time of emergence of novel climates for North American migratory bird populations

2019

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To better understand the ecological implications of global climate change for species that display geographically and seasonally dynamic life‐history strategies, we need to determine where and when novel climates are projected to first emerge. Here, we use a multivariate approach to estimate time of emergence (ToE) of novel climates based on three climate variables (precipitation, minimum and maximum temperature) at a weekly temporal resolution within the Western Hemisphere over a 280‐yr period (2021–2300) under a high emissions scenario (RCP8.5). We intersect ToE estimates with weekly estimates of relative abundance for 77 passerine bird species that migrate between temperate breeding grounds in North America and southern tropical and subtropical wintering grounds using observations from the eBird citizen‐science database. During the non‐breeding season, migrants that winter within the tropics are projected to encounter novel climates during the second half of this century. Migrants that winter in the subtropics are projected to encounter novel climates during the first half of the next century. During the beginning of the breeding season, migrants on their temperate breeding grounds are projected to encounter novel climates during the first half of the next century. During the end of the breeding season, migrants are projected to encounter novel climates during the second half of this century. Thus, novel climates will first emerge ca 40–50 yr earlier during the second half of the breeding season. These results emphasize the large seasonal and spatial variation in the formation of novel climates, and the pronounced challenges migratory birds are likely to encounter during this century, especially on their tropical wintering grounds and during the transition from breeding to migration. When assessing the ecological implications of climate change, our findings emphasize the value of applying a full annual cycle perspective using standardized metrics that promote comparisons across space and time.

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Light pollution is greatest within migration passage areas for nocturnally-migrating birds around the world

Cited by 101 publications

References 58 publications

Environmental effects on flying migrants revealed by radar

Environmental effects on flying migrants revealed by radar

Holding steady: Little change in intensity or timing of bird migration over the Gulf of Mexico

Time of emergence of novel climates for North American migratory bird populations

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