Prolonged stopover duration characterises migration strategy and constraints of a long-distance migrant songbird

Arlt, Debora; Olsson, Peter; Fox, James W.; Low, Matthew; Pärt, Tomas

doi:10.1515/ami-2015-0002

Cited by 44 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…We defined arrival date as the date when an individual was first observed in the study area (relative to 1st May). Those observed arrival dates closely corresponded to arrival dates estimated from geolocation data from a smaller sample of birds ( N = 12, median difference of 2 days [range 0–4]; Arlt, Olsson, Fox, Low, & Pärt, ). We collected arrival and breeding data during 20 years (1993–1996 and 2002–2017 [arrival data were not routinely collected from 1997–2001]) and only included data from areas where territories were frequently visited (every 2–3 days) during the arrival period, from early April to 10th May.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: The Wheatear Study Systemsupporting

confidence: 73%

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Factors influencing plasticity in the arrival‐breeding interval in a migratory species reacting to climate change

Low

Arlt

Knape

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Climate change is profoundly affecting the phenology of many species. In migratory birds, there is evidence for advances in their arrival time at the breeding ground and their timing of breeding, yet empirical studies examining the interdependence between arrival and breeding time are lacking. Hence, evidence is scarce regarding how breeding time may be adjusted via the arrival‐breeding interval to help local populations adapt to local conditions or climate change. We used long‐term data from an intensively monitored population of the northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) to examine the factors related to the length of 734 separate arrival‐to‐breeding events from 549 individual females. From 1993 to 2017, the mean arrival and egg‐laying dates advanced by approximately the same amount (~5–6 days), with considerable between‐individual variation in the arrival‐breeding interval. The arrival‐breeding interval was shorter for: (a) individuals that arrived later in the season compared to early‐arriving birds, (b) for experienced females compared to first‐year breeders, (c) as spring progressed, and (d) in later years compared to earlier ones. The influence of these factors was much larger for birds arriving earlier in the season compared to later arriving birds, with most effects on variation in the arrival‐breeding interval being absent in late‐arriving birds. Thus, in this population it appears that the timing of breeding is not constrained by arrival for early‐ to midarriving birds, but instead is dependent on local conditions after arrival. For late‐arriving birds, however, the timing of breeding appears to be influenced by arrival constraints. Hence, impacts of climate change on arrival dates and local conditions are expected to vary for different parts of the population, with potential negative impacts associated with these factors likely to differ for early‐ versus late‐arriving birds.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: The Wheatear Study Systemsupporting

confidence: 73%

Factors influencing plasticity in the arrival‐breeding interval in a migratory species reacting to climate change

Low

Arlt

Knape

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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“…There is evidence that total speed of migration increases with population‐specific total migration distance (Arlt, Olsson, Fox, Low, & Pärt, ; Bairlein et al., ; Schmaljohann, Buchmann, Fox, & Bairlein, ; Schmaljohann, Fox, & Bairlein, ). To increase total speed of migration, birds may decrease their total stopover duration (Schmaljohann & Both, ) and/or increase their travel speed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nocturnal departure timing in songbirds facing distinct migratory challenges

Fabbri

Eikenaar

Crysler

et al. 2018

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Most migratory songbirds travel between their breeding areas and wintering grounds through a series of nocturnal flights. The timing of their departures defines the potential flight duration and thus the distance covered during a migratory night. Yet, migratory songbirds show substantial variation in their nocturnal departure timing. With this study, we aim to assess whether the respective challenges of the migration route, namely its distance and nature, help to explain this variation. At a stopover site, we caught Northern Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) of two subspecies that differ in distance and nature of their onward migration route in spring, but not in autumn. We determined the start of their nocturnal migratory restlessness during short-term captivity, and radiotracked their nocturnal departure timing after release in both migration seasons. Northern Wheatears started their nocturnal migratory restlessness earlier when facing a long remaining migration distance and an extended sea barrier in spring. Individual departure directions generally affected the nocturnal departure timing with early departures being directed towards the respective migratory destination. In spring, this pattern was predominantly found in birds carrying relatively large fuel stores, but was absent in lean birds. At the same time, birds facing a short remaining migration distance and no extended sea barrier strongly reacted to relatively large fuel stores by an early start of nocturnal migratory behaviour (migratory restlessness and departure timing), whereas this reaction was not found in birds facing a long remaining migration distance and sea barrier. These results suggest that the basic diel schedule of birds' migratory activity is adapted to the onward migration route. Further, they suggest that birds adjust their behavioural response, that is start of nocturnal migratory behaviour, to fuel stores in relation to their impending migratory challenges. This is a substantial step in understanding variation of nocturnal departure timing and its adjustments in migratory songbirds. Further, it emphasizes the importance of interpreting birds' nocturnal migratory behaviour in the respective ecological context.

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“…The stopover sites found in north Africa are at the same latitude as Crete, and since the desert more or less reaches the Mediterranean in the east, stopover in southern Greece might be a strategy for great reed warblers following a more eastern route. Recent geolocator studies have also shown longer stopover periods in northwest Africa following the Sahara crossing in turtle doves Streptopelia turtur and northern wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe (Eraud et al , Arlt et al ). The stopover periods found in northern wheatears were on average 18.5 d, which the authors believe is longer than needed for refuelling, and they suggest that it might partly be a strategy of using areas with good foraging conditions at a time when conditions in the wintering areas have deteriorated (Arlt et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inability to regain normal body mass despite extensive refuelling in great reed warblers following the trans‐Sahara crossing during spring migration

Fransson

Karlsson

Kullberg

et al. 2017

Journal of Avian Biology

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Migratory birds wintering in Africa face the challenge of passing the Sahara desert with few opportunities to forage. During spring migration birds thus arrive in the Mediterranean area with very low energy reserves after crossing the desert. Since early arrival to the breeding grounds often is of importance to maximize reproductive success, finding stopover sites with good refuelling possibilities after the Saharan passage is of utmost importance. Here we report on extensive fuelling in the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus on the south coast of Crete in spring, the first land that they encounter after crossing the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea in this area. Birds were studied at a river mouth and due to an exceptional high recapture rate (45 and 51% in two successive years), we were able to get information about stopover behaviour in 56 individual great reed warblers during two spring seasons. The large proportion of trapped great reed warbler compared to other species and the large number of recaptures suggest that great reed warblers actively choose this area for stopover. They stayed on average 3–4 d, increased on average about 3.5 g in body mass and the average rate of body mass increase was 4.8% of lean body mass d–1. Wing length affected the rate of increase and indicated that females have a slower increase than males. The results found show that great reed warblers at this site regularly deposit larger fuel loads than needed for one continued flight stage. The low body mass found in great reed warblers (also in birds with high fat scores) is a strong indication that birds staging at Anapodaris still had not been able to rebuild their structural tissue after the strenuous Sahara crossing, suggesting that rebuilding structural tissue may take longer time than previously thought.

show abstract

Prolonged stopover duration characterises migration strategy and constraints of a long-distance migrant songbird

Cited by 44 publications

References 9 publications

Factors influencing plasticity in the arrival‐breeding interval in a migratory species reacting to climate change

Factors influencing plasticity in the arrival‐breeding interval in a migratory species reacting to climate change

Nocturnal departure timing in songbirds facing distinct migratory challenges

Inability to regain normal body mass despite extensive refuelling in great reed warblers following the trans‐Sahara crossing during spring migration

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