Using stable isotopes to assess population connectivity in the declining European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

Abstract

European Turtle Doves (Streptopelia turtur) are long-distance migrants and have experienced a population decline of more than 78% since 1980. Their conservation depends on refined knowledge of breeding origins and population connectivity. Feathers collected at stopover sites, but molted at breeding grounds, provide an opportunity to assign birds to potential regions of origin using tissue stable hydrogen isotope values and relate those to a European feather hydrogen isoscape. Here, 101 feather samples from 13 different breeding countries were analyzed to calibrate the European hydrogen isoscape and 101 feather samples from Spanish, Italian, Maltese, Greek, and Bulgarian stopovers were assigned to potential regions of origin. The assigned range of origin for all 101 individuals grouped together agreed with known distribution patterns. Bulgarian samples were mostly assigned to Russian areas. Possible origins of Greek, Italian, Maltese, and Spanish samples ranged from central to southern Europe. Individual assignments highlighted four broad regions of origin, corresponding to a cool/humid to hot/dry temperature gradient. Proportions of birds assigned to these regions varied among birds sampled at different stopover sites. Therefore, our results provide important information about population connectivity and may be useful to evaluate possible influences of hunting on Turtle Dove populations. K E Y W O R D Sbreeding origins, feather samples, IsoriX, δ 2 H † Deceased.Article impact statement: Using stable isotopes, we infer breeding origins of European Turtle Doves sampled during migration, providing useful information for species protection.

Insights into natal origins of migratory Nearctic hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae): new evidence from stable isotope (δ2H) assignment analyses

“…Animals have evolved the capacity to migrate vast distances in response to changing environmental conditions (Dingle and Drake 2007, Chapman et al 2011, Milner‐Gulland et al 2011). While migratory behavior is well‐recognized among vertebrates like birds and mammals (Lehnert et al 2018, Marx et al 2020), much less is understood about invertebrate migration. Recent evidence has revealed mass seasonal movements of insect biomass to be among the largest terrestrial animal migrations on Earth (Hu et al 2016), a phenomenon which has major ecological and economic ramifications.…”

Feather stable isotopes (δ2Hf and δ13Cf) identify the Sub-Saharan wintering grounds of turtle doves from Europe

“…Another study that investigated breeding ground provenance of migrating turtle doves, including some of the sampled individuals from this study, showed relatively coarse and broad possible distribution ranges using δ 2 H f only, and no spatially precise breeding localities could be assigned (Marx et al 2020). Therefore, a precise estimation of the connectivity between breeding and wintering areas was not possible in this study, as we do not know the exact breeding areas of individuals sampled during migration.…”

Isotope record tracks changes in historical wintering ranges of a passerine in sub‐Saharan Africa

“…The low probability of recapturing banded individuals and recent technological advances triggered the development of new approaches (Bächler et al, 2010; Webster et al, 2002). Among them, stable isotopes have been applied in a growing number of migration studies (Alisauskas & Hobson, 1993; Chamberlain et al, 1997; Hobson et al, 2004; Hobson, Keith, Van Wilgenburg, Wassenaar, & Larson, 2012; Hobson, Keith, Van Wilgenburg, Wassenaar, Powell et al, 2012; Marx et al, 2020; Phillips et al, 2009). The isotopic signature of feather keratin is representative for the place of moult and it is preserved unaltered for centuries (Hobson & Wassenaar, 1997; Navarro et al, 2020).…”