Look at the time: diel variation in the flight initiation distance of a nectarivorous bird

Ferguson, Stephen M.; Gilson, Lauren N.; Bateman, Philip W.

doi:10.1007/s00265-019-2757-x

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Links between time of day and FID have, to our knowledge, only previously been identified in only a couple of studies, and with contrasting patterns: Burger and Gochfeld (1991) found shorter FIDs later in the day in Indian birds, which they ascribed to greater human activity at those times. By contrast, Ferguson et al (2019) for a single species of nectarivore argued that shorter FIDs earlier in the day were related to energetic constraints after nocturnal fasting. The extent to which this explanation applies to Sri Lankan birds is unclear, but it seems unlikely given Burger and Gochfeld's (1991) results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Time of day may influence avian FIDs, perhaps due to energetic constraints early in the day (McQueen et al 2021), and consequent trade-offs between starvation and predator risk (Moiron et al 2018). Short FIDs in the morning have been shown for only one bird species, and time of day has been recommended to be included in analyses of FID (Ferguson et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Ecological and environmental predictors of escape among birds on a large tropical island

Ekanayake

Gnanapragasam

Ranawana

et al. 2022

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ecological and environmental traits can influence avian escape behaviour but most data underpinning our current understanding relates to continental and temperate areas and species. We conducted a phylogenetically controlled comparative analysis of flight-initiation distance (FID) against a variety of environmental, behavioural and life history attributes for Sri Lankan birds (202 species; n = 2540). As with other studies, body mass was positively associated with FID, and longer FIDs occurred in areas where human population density was lower. We also found that the effect of human population density was more pronounced in larger birds. Birds that were in groups when approached tended to have longer FIDs. Unlike the findings of other comparative analyses, based mostly on continental, temperate populations, most other ecological variables did not feature in the best models predicting FID (time of year, breeding system, clutch size, habitat, migratory behaviour, development [altricial/precocial], elevation and diet). Thus, some associations (body mass and exposure to humans) may be universal, while others may not manifest themselves among tropical avifaunas. Further tropical datasets are required to confirm truly universal associations of environmental and ecological attributes and escape distances among birds. Significance statement Escape responses in birds are influenced by the environment in which they live, the conditions under which they face a threat and their own biological characteristics. The vast majority of our knowledge of avian escape behaviour is derived from continental, temperate species. We examined the environmental and ecological factors that shape flight-initiation distance (FID), the distance at which a bird reacts to an approaching threat (a walking human) by escaping, using 2540 observations of 202 bird species on a large tropical island—Sri Lanka. Several predictors of FIDs in birds are clearly influential for Sri Lankan birds: body mass, human population density and whether the bird is alone or in as group. However, many other putative predictors are not, suggesting that tropical island avifaunas may have different responses to approaching threats compared to their temperate continental counterparts.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological and environmental predictors of escape among birds on a large tropical island

Ekanayake

Gnanapragasam

Ranawana

et al. 2022

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As observations were clustered between early and late October (16 days) and between late January and mid-April (37 days), we used season (wet versus dry) instead of calendar days in all analyses. We converted local time to minutes after sunrise, as time of day may influence avian FIDs (Ekanayake et al, 2022;Ferguson et al, 2019). We also extracted the predicted time of low tide for the Bijagós (Bubaque)…”

Section: Season Date and Time Of Observationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat stress increases risk taking in foraging shorebirds

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1. Animals often face a trade-off between food acquisition and predation/disturbance avoidance. Yet, the extent to which this trade-off is affected by modulating factors such as thermal risk and foraging opportunities has been largely overlooked.2. Here, we examined the influence of temporal and environmental gradients on the flight initiation distance (FID, the distance at which animals flee from an approaching human-simulated predator) and escape mode (flying/low risk versus running/low cost) in 16 species of shorebirds foraging on tidal flats of the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau. We measured escape responses throughout the low tide period during wet and dry seasons and simultaneously recorded microclimate variables and occurrence of heat-reduction behaviour (ptiloerection). Furthermore, we measured corticosterone metabolites (CORTm) from droppings in red knots Calidris canutus to assess whether ptiloerection is associated to a physiological stress response to hot conditions.3. Overall, birds tolerated a closer approach at higher environmental temperatures and when showing ptiloerection. They also had shorter FIDs during the dry season and towards the start/end of the low tide period. FIDs also increased with body mass and decreased in areas with more human presence. In red knots, individuals showing ptiloerection had higher levels of CORTm, demonstrating a link between physiological and behavioural stress coping responses to heat events. 4. Our results suggest that heat-stressed shorebirds take greater risks, supporting the idea of a thermoregulation-predation risk trade-off. They also indicate that shorebirds adjust risk taking to tidal and seasonal cycles, generally reducing FIDs when the energetic costs of escape are expected to be large. Finally, they suggest that shorebirds habituate to non-lethal human presence and respond to perceived predation risk in accordance with the predictions of optimal escape theory.5. These results are relevant to many animals that face a tight window for foraging activity while being exposed to predation/disturbance and heat during the day. We discuss management implications of our results in the context of global change.

show abstract

“…It could be possible that some species may have longer FIDs during the peak hunting times when compared to the low hunting times. The ambient temperatures in the environment may also affect bird behaviour, thus some birds may reduce frequency of flying away from disturbances during the hottest time of the day (Ferguson et al, 2019). It is more energy consuming for larger birds to be consistently flying away from disturbances (Blumstein, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human depredation risk and flight initiation distance of birds in rural areas, Zimbabwe

Ncube

Tarakini

2022

Afr J Ecol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Human depredation threatens the conservation of bird species especially in rural areas where birds are hunted for protein. This study explored species found in Thekwane village of Bulilima district in Plumtree, Zimbabwe, from July to September 2020. A survey was conducted to assess bird's flight initiation distance (FID) across various habitats and times of the day. Fifty key informants reported which bird species were hunted by locals. A desktop survey was done to determine the average body mass and conservation status according to IUCN for all species recorded. The effect of body mass, time of the day, perch type/height, starting distance, flock size, hunting pressure and habitat type on FID was investigated using generalised linear models. Chi-square tests were used to explore association between key informants' citation frequency of birds and their level of hunting. The key informants cited 49 species commonly used for protein provision, while 58 species were recorded during FID measurements. FID increased with body mass, and the birds that were perching on the ground had longer FIDs. There was a linear positive relationship between FID and starting distance and large flocks had longer FIDs. However hunting pressure and habitat type had no significant relationship with FID. Our results suggest that the larger bird species had less tolerance to approaching humans and birds that were less likely to be hunted by people had similar levels of wariness compared to those that are more likely to be hunted. K E Y W O R D Sflight initiation distance, hunting pressure, perch type and height, starting distance body mass RésuméLa surchasse par l'homme menace la conservation de l'avifaune plus spécifiquement dans les zones rurales où l'avifaune est chassée comme apport de protéine. A travers cette étude, nous voulons comprendre l'influence de la pression cynégétique et de paramètres écologiques sur la distance d'envol de l'avifaune (FID). Ainsi la distance d'envol au sein de différents habitats et à différent moment de la journée, pour les espèces trouvées dans le village de Thekwane (district de Bulilima, Zimbabwé) entre Juillet et Septembre 2020, a été collectée Les données de FID ont été analysées en prenant compte plusieurs variables tel que la masse moyenne de l'espèce, la taille du groupe, la distance de détection de l'espèce, le type et location du perchoir, la période

show abstract

Look at the time: diel variation in the flight initiation distance of a nectarivorous bird

Cited by 10 publications

References 38 publications

Ecological and environmental predictors of escape among birds on a large tropical island

Ecological and environmental predictors of escape among birds on a large tropical island

Heat stress increases risk taking in foraging shorebirds

Human depredation risk and flight initiation distance of birds in rural areas, Zimbabwe

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About