Shifts in crane migration phenology associated with climate change in southwestern Europe

Abstract

Gallocanta lagoon, NE Spain, is one of the main stopover and wintering areas of Common Cranes (Grus grus) migrating through Western Europe. We investigated how the water level of the lagoon where cranes roost, precipitation, and air temperature might have influenced the species' migration and wintering patterns in this area between 1973 and 2018. Over the study period, the mean annual air temperature increased at 0.3 °C per decade. Simultaneously, cranes advanced the spring peak migration date at a rate of 0.37 days/year. Water level and rainfall during spring were also positively correlated with the date of spring migration peak. Because cranes need shallow water to roost, and must drink water from streams because the lagoon is saline, these correlations suggest that low water levels at roosting sites and drinking water shortage may have further accelerated the onset of northward spring migration. The water level was also positively correlated with peak crane numbers in autumn, suggesting that the roosting capacity of the lagoon may limit numbers of cranes that can stopover in the area. We conclude that global warming, variations in the water level of the lagoon, and precipitation during spring have determined changes in the use of Gallocanta as a staging and wintering area by Common Cranes during the last decades. Because climatic models predict further decreases in rainfall and higher temperatures in the area, further advances in the migration phenology of cranes should be expected, which might also have implications for the conservation and management of the species and the study area. Modification de la phénologie de migration des grues associé aux changements climatiques dans le sud-ouest de l'Europe RÉSUMÉ. La lagune Gallocanta, dans le nord-est de l'Espagne, est l'une des principales haltes et aires d'hivernage de la Grue cendrée (Grus grus) qui migre dans l'ouest de l'Europe. Nous avons examiné de quelle façon le niveau d'eau de la lagune où les grues dorment, les précipitations et la température de l'air ont pu influer sur les tendances de migration et d'hivernage de l'espèce dans ce secteur entre 1973 et 2018. Au cours de cette période, la température moyenne annuelle de l'air a augmenté de 0,3 °C par décennie. Simultanément, les grues ont devancé la date de leur pic migratoire printanier au taux de 0.37 jour/année. Le niveau d'eau et les précipitations au printemps ont aussi été positivement corrélés avec la date du pic migratoire printanier. Parce que les grues ont besoin d'eau peu profonde pour y dormir et qu'elles doivent boire de l'eau à partir de ruisseaux étant donné que la lagune est salée, ces corrélations indiquent que de faibles niveaux d'eau aux dortoirs et un manque d'eau potable ont peut-être accéléré encore plus l'initiation de la migration printanière vers le nord. Le niveau d'eau était aussi corrélé positivement avec le nombre maximum de grues en automne, laissant entrevoir que la capacité de rassemblement à la lagune limite sans doute le nombre de grues qui peut s'arrêter dans le sect...

Assessment of Suitable Habitat of the Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo) in the Wake of Climate Change: A Study of Its Wintering Refugees in Pakistan

“…Mean annual and seasonal temperature can influence the migratory, foraging behavior, and site selection of a species [142][143][144]. Our results indicated that temperature seasonality and annual mean temperature play major roles in defining Demoiselle Crane habitat suitability.…”

The spring migration and distribution of Common Crane (Grus grus) in the Carpathian Basin during the late 19th and early 20th centuries

“…In addition, decreasing rainfall and increasing temperatures may also have an impact through changes in the environmental conditions of resting sites. For this reason, for example, one of the most important stopover sites in Spain had an earlier peak in spring migration of 0.37 days per year between 1973and 2018(Orellana Macías et al 2020.…”

Upside down sulphate dynamics in a saline inland lake

“…Gallocanta Lake is surrounded by vegetation and the lake bed is colonized by Ruppia drepanensis, which is a rooted submerged macrophyte commonly found in ephemeral saline inland wetlands of the Mediterranean region [31][32][33] . Also, it harbours a large community of migratory crane (Grus grus) from November to March each year [34][35][36] . Therefore, birds excrements and vegetation decay (mainly R. drepanensis) represent a significant source of organic matter and nutrients to the lake.…”