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Sacristán-Soriano O, Jarma D, Sánchez MI, Romero N, Alonso E, Green AJ, Sànchez-Melsió A, Hortas F, Balcázar JL, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Borrego CM. Winged resistance: Storks and gulls increase carriage of antibiotic resistance by shifting from paddy fields to landfills. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 914:169946. [PMID: 38199372 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Waterbirds are vectors for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance across environments, with some species increasingly reliant on highly anthropized habitats for feeding. However, data on the impact of their feeding habits on the carriage of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are still scarce. To fill this gap, we examined the microbiota (16S rRNA amplicon gene sequencing) and the prevalence of ARG (high-throughput qPCR of 47 genes) in faeces from white storks (Ciconia ciconia) and lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) feeding in highly (landfill) and less (paddy fields) polluted habitats. Faecal bacterial richness and diversity were higher in gulls feeding upon landfills and showed a greater abundance of potential pathogens, such as Staphylococcus. In contrast, faecal bacterial communities from storks were similar regardless of habitat preferences, maybe due to a less intense habitat use compared to gulls. In addition, birds feeding in the landfill carried a higher burden of ARGs compared to the surrounding soil and surface waters. Network analysis revealed strong correlations between ARGs and potential pathogens, particularly between tetM (resistance to tetracyclines), blaCMY (beta-lactam resistance), sul1 (sulfonamide resistance) and members of the genera Streptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, and Peptoclostridium. Our work demonstrates how transitioning from paddy fields to landfills fosters the carriage of ARGs and potential pathogens in the bird gut, shedding light on the ecological role of these avian vectors in antimicrobial resistance dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dayana Jarma
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain; Departamento de Biología, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Universidad de Cádiz, Avda. República Saharaui, s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - Marta I Sánchez
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Noelia Romero
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Esteban Alonso
- Departamento de Química Analítica, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Sevilla, C/Virgen de África, 7, 41011 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Andy J Green
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación y Cambio Global, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Hortas
- Departamento de Biología, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Universidad de Cádiz, Avda. República Saharaui, s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - José Luis Balcázar
- Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, E-17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Peralta-Sánchez
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Sevilla, Spain; Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carles M Borrego
- Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA), Emili Grahit 101, E-17003 Girona, Spain; Grup d'Ecologia Microbiana Molecular, Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Universitat de Girona, Campus de Montilivi, E-17003 Girona, Spain
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2
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Bouchard C, Nicolas D. Estimating migration speed of glass eels during their colonization of a Mediterranean lagoon. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:1113-1121. [PMID: 37496154 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Migration speed can have important evolutionary consequences as it can affect the timing of arrival, remaining energy reserves, and habitat choice. Environmental conditions and individual phenotypic traits can impact the migration speed of individuals. In this way, estimating migration speed is of particular importance, especially for species under strong management strategies and colonizing highly diversified habitats, as is the case for the European eel. However, estimating the migration speed of glass eels, which is the life stage when eels colonize continental habitats, presents challenges due to typically low re-capture probabilities and difficulties in tagging individuals. Using recruitment time series at two sites, one at the sea connection and another inland, we estimated the temporal lag between the two migration peaks to compute migration speed. Because we worked on the Mediterranean coasts and in a lagoon, the weak tidal amplitudes may inhibit individuals from efficiently performing the selective tidal stream transport. We obtained migration speed values coherent with the few values available in the literature for Atlantic estuaries. The values we obtained that are lower than those obtained for Atlantic estuaries are also coherent with the weak tides along the Mediterranean coasts and lead to necessary further studies to understand the migratory behavior of glass eels in such hydro-systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bouchard
- UMR 1224 ECOBIOP, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, France
- Tour du Valat Research Institute, Arles, France
| | - D Nicolas
- Tour du Valat Research Institute, Arles, France
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Peralta-Sánchez JM, Ansotegui A, Hortas F, Redón S, Martín-Vélez V, Green AJ, Navarro-Ramos MJ, Lovas-Kiss A, Sánchez MI. Seed Size, Not Dispersal Syndrome, Determines Potential for Spread of Ricefield Weeds by Gulls. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1470. [PMID: 37050096 PMCID: PMC10096937 DOI: 10.3390/plants12071470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent field data suggest that migratory gulls disperse many rice field weeds by gut passage (endozoochory), most of which are dry fruited and widely assumed to have no long-distance dispersal mechanisms, except via human activity. We investigated this mechanism with a feeding experiment, in which seeds of five common rice field weeds (in order of increasing seed size: Juncus bufonius, Cyperus difformis, Polypogon monspeliensis, Amaranthus retroflexus, and the fleshy-fruited Solanum nigrum) were fed to seven individuals of lesser black-backed gulls Larus fuscus held in captivity. We quantified seed survival after collecting faeces at intervals for 33 h after ingestion, then extracting intact seeds and running germination tests, which were also conducted for control seeds. All five species showed high seed survival after gut passage, of >70%. Gut retention times averaged 2-4 h, but maxima exceeded 23 h for all species. Germinability after gut passage was 16-54%, and gut passage accelerated germination in J. bufonius and S. nigrum, but slowed it down in the other species. All species had lower germinability after gut passage compared to control seeds (likely due to stratification prior to the experiment), but the loss of germinability was higher in smaller seeds. There was no evidence that the different dispersal syndromes assigned to the five species (endozoochory, epizoochory or barochory) had any influence on our results. In contrast, mean gut retention time was strongly and positively related to seed size, likely because small seeds pass more quickly from the gizzard into the intestines. Non-classical endozoochory of dry-fruited seeds by waterbirds is a major but overlooked mechanism for potential long-distance dispersal, and more research into this process is likely essential for effective weed management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Manuel Peralta-Sánchez
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Seville, Spain; (J.M.P.-S.); (A.A.); (S.R.)
- Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Albán Ansotegui
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Seville, Spain; (J.M.P.-S.); (A.A.); (S.R.)
- Wetland Ecology Department, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain; (V.M.-V.); (A.J.G.); (M.J.N.-R.)
| | - Francisco Hortas
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Marina (INMAR), Campus de Excelencia Internacional del Mar (CEI·MAR), Universidad de Cádiz, Avda. República Árabe Saharaui s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain;
| | - Stella Redón
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Seville, Spain; (J.M.P.-S.); (A.A.); (S.R.)
- Wetland Ecology Department, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain; (V.M.-V.); (A.J.G.); (M.J.N.-R.)
| | - Víctor Martín-Vélez
- Wetland Ecology Department, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain; (V.M.-V.); (A.J.G.); (M.J.N.-R.)
| | - Andy J. Green
- Wetland Ecology Department, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain; (V.M.-V.); (A.J.G.); (M.J.N.-R.)
| | - María J. Navarro-Ramos
- Wetland Ecology Department, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain; (V.M.-V.); (A.J.G.); (M.J.N.-R.)
| | - Adam Lovas-Kiss
- Wetland Ecology Research Group, Department of Tisza Research, MTA Centre for Ecological Research-DRI, H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Marta I. Sánchez
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Seville, Spain; (J.M.P.-S.); (A.A.); (S.R.)
- Wetland Ecology Department, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Seville, Spain; (V.M.-V.); (A.J.G.); (M.J.N.-R.)
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Gilg O, van Bemmelen RSA, Lee H, Park JY, Kim HJ, Kim DW, Lee WY, Sokolovskis K, Solovyeva DV. Flyways and migratory behaviour of the Vega gull (Larus vegae), a little-known Arctic endemic. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281827. [PMID: 36795774 PMCID: PMC9934386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Large gulls are generalist predators that play an important role in Arctic food webs. Describing the migratory patterns and phenology of these predators is essential to understanding how Arctic ecosystems function. However, from all six large Arctic gull taxa, including three long-distance migrants, to date seasonal movements have been studied only in three and with small sample sizes. To document the flyways and migratory behaviour of the Vega gull, a widespread but little-studied Siberian migrant, we monitored 28 individuals with GPS loggers over a mean period of 383 days. Birds used similar routes in spring and autumn, preferring coastal to inland or offshore routes, and travelled 4000-5500 km between their breeding (Siberia) and wintering grounds (mainly the Republic of Korea and Japan). Spring migration mainly occurred in May, and was twice as fast and more synchronized among individuals than autumn migration. Migration bouts mainly occurred during the day and twilight, but rates of travel were always higher during the few night flights. Flight altitudes were nearly always higher during migration bouts than during other bouts, and lower during twilight than during night or day. Altitudes above 2000m were recorded during migrations, when birds made non-stop inland flights over mountain ranges and vast stretches of the boreal forest. Individuals showed high inter-annual consistency in their movements in winter and summer, indicating strong site fidelity to their breeding and wintering sites. Within-individual variation was similar in spring and autumn, but between individual variation was higher in autumn than in spring. Compared to previous studies, our results suggest that the timing of spring migration in large Arctic gulls is likely constrained by snowmelt at breeding grounds, while the duration of migration windows could be related to the proportion of inland versus coastal habitats found along their flyways ('fly-and-forage' strategy). Ongoing environmental changes are hence likely in short term to alter the timing of their migration, and in long term possibly affect the duration if e.g. the resource availability along the route changes in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono-Environnement, CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), Francheville, France
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Hansoo Lee
- Korea Institute of Environmental Ecology (KOECO), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Young Park
- National Migratory Bird Research Center, National Institute of Biological Resources, Ongjin-gun, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwa-Jung Kim
- National Migratory Bird Research Center, National Institute of Biological Resources, Ongjin-gun, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Won Kim
- National Migratory Bird Research Center, National Institute of Biological Resources, Ongjin-gun, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Y. Lee
- Division of Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Diana V. Solovyeva
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Magadan, Russia
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Timing rather than movement decisions explains age-related differences in wind support for a migratory bird. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Brown JM, Bouten W, Camphuysen KCJ, Nolet BA, Shamoun-Baranes J. Energetic and behavioral consequences of migration: an empirical evaluation in the context of the full annual cycle. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1210. [PMID: 36681726 PMCID: PMC9867707 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28198-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Seasonal migrations are used by diverse animal taxa, yet the costs and benefits of migrating have rarely been empirically examined. The aim of this study was to determine how migration influences two ecological currencies, energy expenditure and time allocated towards different behaviors, in a full annual cycle context. We compare these currencies among lesser black-backed gulls that range from short- (< 250 km) to long-distance (> 4500 km) migrants. Daily time-activity budgets were reconstructed from tri-axial acceleration and GPS, which, in conjunction with a bioenergetics model to estimate thermoregulatory costs, enabled us to estimate daily energy expenditure throughout the year. We found that migration strategy had no effect on annual energy expenditure, however, energy expenditure through time deviated more from the annual average as migration distance increased. Patterns in time-activity budgets were similar across strategies, suggesting migration strategy does not limit behavioral adjustments required for other annual cycle stages (breeding, molt, wintering). Variation among individuals using the same strategy was high, suggesting that daily behavioral decisions (e.g. foraging strategy) contribute more towards energy expenditure than an individual's migration strategy. These findings provide unprecedented new understanding regarding the relative importance of fine versus broad-scale behavioral strategies towards annual energy expenditures.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Morgan Brown
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Willem Bouten
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kees C J Camphuysen
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Bart A Nolet
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Galaktionov KV, Solovyeva AI, Blakeslee AMH, Skírnisson K. Overview of renicolid digeneans (Digenea, Renicolidae) from marine gulls of northern Holarctic with remarks on their species statuses, phylogeny and phylogeography. Parasitology 2022; 150:1-23. [PMID: 36321423 PMCID: PMC10090622 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022001500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Renicolid digeneans parasitize aquatic birds. Their intramolluscan stages develop in marine and brackish-water gastropods, while metacercariae develop in molluscs and fishes. The systematics of renicolids is poorly developed, their life cycles are mostly unknown, and the statuses of many species require revision. Here, we establish based on integrated morphological and molecular data that adult renicolids from gulls Larus argentatus and Larus schistisagus and sporocysts and cercariae of Cercaria parvicaudata from marine snails Littorina spp. are life-cycle stages of the same species. We name it Renicola parvicaudatus and synonymized with it Renicola roscovitus. An analysis of the cox1 gene of R. parvicaudatus from Europe, North America and North Asia demonstrates a low genetic divergence, suggesting that this species has formed quite recently (perhaps during last glacial maximum) and that interregional gene flow is high. In Littorina saxatilis and L. obtusata from the Barents Sea, molecular analysis has revealed intramolluscan stages of Cercaria littorinae saxatilis VIII, a cryptic species relative to R. parvicaudatus. In the molecular trees, Renicola keimahuri from L. schistisagus belongs to another clade than R. parvicaudatus. We show that the species of this clade have cercariae of Rhodometopa group and outline morphological and behavioural transformations leading from xiphidiocercariae to these larvae. Molecular analysis has revealed 3 main phylogenetic branches of renicolids, differing in structure of adults, type of cercariae and host range. Our results elucidate the patterns of host colonization and geographical expansion of renicolids and pave the way to the solution of some long-standing problems of their classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill V. Galaktionov
- Laboratory of Parasitic Worms and Protists, Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Anna I. Solovyeva
- Laboratory of Parasitic Worms and Protists, Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
- Laboratory of Non-Coding DNA, Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
| | - April M. H. Blakeslee
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
- Marine Invasions Lab, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - Karl Skírnisson
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur, Reykjavik, Iceland
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Acosta Alamo M, Manne LL, Veit RR. Does Population Size Drive Changes in Transatlantic Vagrancy for Gulls? A Study of Seven North Atlantic Species. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.850577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
European gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus, Larus canus, and L. graellsii have dispersed to North America and C. ridibundus and L. graellsii have bred or attempted to breed. North American gulls L. delawarensis, Leucophaeus atricilla, Leucophaeus pipixcan, and Chroicocephalus philadelphia have dispersed to Europe, although no successful breeding by non-hybrid pairs has yet occurred. We hypothesized that as gull population sizes increase, the number of birds exploring potential new breeding sites also increases. To test our hypothesis, we compared the number of transatlantic vagrants to the population size on the previous year using generalized linear models. We found an increasing number of transatlantic vagrants moving in both directions, which suggests that vagrancy is not a random phenomenon driven by strong winds nor caused by reverse migration. Population size predicted transatlantic vagrancy in four of the seven species. However, our hypothesis that increases in population size drive increases in vagrancy was only supported in two of these instances. We further looked at sub-populations of L. delawarensis in North America and tested our hypothesis for each subpopulation. We found partial support for our hypothesis for these data. Even within one species, we observed multiple relationships between vagrancy and population size. Our results showed that size or trend in source population size—in some circumstances—is clearly a driver of vagrancy, but other factors must play an important role too. As anthropogenic development continues, and high-quality habitats become farther apart, it is important that we continue to investigate all drivers of vagrancy because the persistence of a species may depend crucially on its longest-distance dispersers.
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Rueda-Uribe C, Lötberg U, Åkesson S. Foraging on the wing for fish while migrating over changing landscapes: traveling behaviors vary with available aquatic habitat for Caspian terns. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:9. [PMID: 35236399 PMCID: PMC8892754 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00307-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birds that forage while covering distance during migration should adjust traveling behaviors as the availability of foraging habitat changes. Particularly, the behavior of those species that depend on bodies of water to find food yet manage to migrate over changing landscapes may be limited by the substantial variation in feeding opportunities along the route. METHODS Using GPS tracking data, we studied how traveling behaviors vary with available foraging habitat during the long-distance migration of Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia), a bird with a specialized diet based on fish that needs bodies of water to forage. We measured individual variation in five traveling behaviors related to foraging along the route and used linear mixed effects models to test the following variables as predictors of traveling behaviors: proportion of overlap with water bodies, weather conditions, days at previous stopover and days of migration. Also, we tested if during traveling days flight height and speed varied with time of day and if birds were in areas with greater proportion of water bodies compared to what would be expected by chance from the landscape. RESULTS We found variation in migratory traveling behaviors that was mainly related to the proportion of overlap with water bodies and experienced tailwinds. Suggesting a mixed migratory strategy with fly-and-foraging, Caspian terns reduced travel speed, flew fewer hours of the day, had lower flight heights and increased diurnal over nocturnal migratory flight hours as the proportion of overlap with water bodies increased. Birds had lower flight speeds and higher flight heights during the day, were in foraging habitats with greater proportions of water than expected by chance but avoided foraging detours. Instead, route tortuosity was associated with lower wind support and cloudier skies. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show how birds may adjust individual behavior as foraging habitat availability changes during migration and contribute to the growing knowledge on mixed migratory strategies of stopover use and fly-and-forage.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Rueda-Uribe
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - U Lötberg
- BirdLife Sweden, Stenhusa gård, Lilla Brunneby 106, 386 62, Mörbylånga, Sweden
| | - S Åkesson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
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Gutowsky SE, Davis SE, Maftei M, Mallory ML. Flexibility in migratory strategy contrasts with reliance on restricted staging and overwintering grounds for Sabine’s gulls from the Canadian High Arctic. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2020-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Sabine’s gulls (Xema sabini) undertake the longest migration of any gull, a trans-equatorial journey between Arctic breeding and southern hemisphere wintering areas. For such long-distance migrants, quantifying within- and between-individual variation in migratory strategy is key towards understanding resilience to environmental variability encountered over migration. We tracked 22 birds on 32 migrations from the Canadian Arctic to evaluate strategies and quantify flexibility among individuals and years. All birds undertook extended stopovers in a geographically-restricted staging area halfway through migration in the California Current System in both directions. Individuals were otherwise flexible in most aspects of migration but were repeatable in arrival date and duration of the southbound staging phase. Routes taken during southbound migration and overlap in overwintering areas were significantly larger within the same year than among years. Overall, birds showed high individual flexibility in migratory strategies but made similar decisions to one another in the same years. Every year, all birds showed repeatable, consistent reliance on the staging grounds as a key stopover site in both directions. This suggests Sabine’s gulls adjust to environmental change in many aspects of their migration but may be vulnerable to climate change and other anthropogenic influences during critical stages of the journey.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mark Maftei
- High Arctic Gull Research Group , Ucluelet, BC , Canada
| | - Mark L Mallory
- High Arctic Gull Research Group , Ucluelet, BC , Canada
- Department of Biology , Acadia University , Wolfville, NS , Canada
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Baak JE, Mallory ML, Anderson CM, Auger-Méthé M, Macdonald CA, Janssen MH, Gilchrist HG, Provencher JF, Gutowsky SE. Inter-individual variation in the migratory behaviour of a generalist seabird, the herring gull (Larus smithsoniansus), from the Canadian Arctic. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2020-0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The Arctic is warming three times faster than the rest of the globe, causing rapid transformational changes in Arctic ecosystems. As these changes increase, understanding seabird movements will be important for predicting how they respond to climate change, and thus how we plan for conservation. Moreover, as most Arctic-breeding seabirds only spend the breeding season in the Arctic, climate change may also affect them through habitat changes in their non-breeding range. We used Global Location Sensors (GLS) to provide new insights on the movement of Arctic-breeding herring gulls (Larus smithsoniansus) in North America. We tracked gulls that wintered in the Gulf of Mexico (n = 7) or the Great Lakes (n = 1), and found that migratory routes and stopover sites varied between individuals, and between southbound and northbound migration. This inter-individual variation suggests that herring gulls, as a generalist species, can make use of an array of regions during migration, but may be more susceptible to climate change impacts in their overwintering locations than during migration. However, due to our limited sample size, future, multi-year studies are recommended to better understand the impacts of climate change on this Arctic-breeding seabird.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E. Baak
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences , McGill University , Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9 , Canada
| | - Mark L. Mallory
- Department of Biology , Acadia University , Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6 , Canada
| | - Christine M. Anderson
- Department of Biology , Carleton University , 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6
| | - Marie Auger-Méthé
- Department of Statistics, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries , University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4 , Canada
| | | | - Michael H. Janssen
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre , Carleton University , Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3 , Canada
| | - H. Grant Gilchrist
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre , Carleton University , Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3 , Canada
| | - Jennifer F. Provencher
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre , Carleton University , Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3 , Canada
| | - Sarah E. Gutowsky
- Department of Biology , Acadia University , Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6 , Canada
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12
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Baert JM, Stienen EWM, Verbruggen F, Van de Weghe N, Lens L, Müller W. Resource predictability drives interannual variation in migratory behavior in a long-lived bird. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
There is a growing awareness that experience may play a major role in migratory decisions, especially in long-lived species. However, empirical support remains to date scarce. Here, we use multiyear GPS-tracking data on 28 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus), a long-lived species for which migratory strategies typically consist of a series of long stopovers, to assess how experience affects interannual variation in stopover selection. We expect that food source reliability should play a pivotal role, as it both reduces the uncertainty on food availability across years, and enables for more efficient foraging during stopovers by reducing searching efforts. We found that during stopovers gulls indeed developed high fidelity to particular foraging locations, which strongly reduced the daily distance travelled for foraging. When revisiting stopovers in consecutive years, birds used over 80% of foraging locations from the previous year. Although the average fidelity to stopovers across years was a high as 85%, stopovers where birds showed high foraging site fidelity were up to 60% more likely to be revisited compared to stopover with low foraging site fidelity. Accordingly, birds using more stopovers with reliable foraging opportunities showed significantly less interannual variation in their stopover use than birds using stopovers with less reliable foraging opportunities. Our results thus highlight the need to further deepen our understanding of the role of cognitive processes in individual variation in migratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan M Baert
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eric W M Stienen
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frederick Verbruggen
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nico Van de Weghe
- Department of Geography, CartoGIS Unit, Ghent University, Krijgslaan, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc Lens
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, Belgium
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13
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Annual Long-Distance Migration Strategies and Home Range of Chinese Sparrowhawk ( Accipiter soloensis) from South China. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11082237. [PMID: 34438694 PMCID: PMC8388367 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
From 2018 to 2019, two Chinese Sparrowhawks (Bird 01, male; Bird 02, female), Accipiter soloensis, were captured and fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) loggers in order to identify summering and wintering sites, migration routes, and stop-over sites. The Chinese Sparrowhawks were first fitted with backpack solar GPS satellite trackers in China in order to explore their migration routes. The two Chinese Sparrowhawks successfully completed their migration from southern China, through Nanning city of Guangxi province, China, to Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore and finally arriving in Indonesia, where they stayed until the March of the following year. They then returned to China along the original route, arriving in Changsha city, Hunan province, China. The two individuals traveled more than 4000-5000 km. For the first time, telemetry data demonstrate, the linkages between their Indonesia wintering sites, their stop-over sites in Southeast Asia, and their breeding/summering sites near south Yangtze River in the south-central part of China. During this long-distance migration, 2653 bird satellite sites were received. The autumn migration durations for the two Chinese Sparrowhawks were 84 days and 50 days, respectively, compared to 83 days and 49 days in spring. The median stop-over duration was 12.7 and 9.3 days, respectively and the median speed of travel was 74.2 km/day during the autumn migration and 73.9 km/day during the spring migration. Furthermore, two and one stop-over sites and one and three stop-over sites were used during the autumn and spring migrations of Chinese Sparrowhawks 01 and 02, respectively. The Chinese Sparrowhawks migrated long distances and used stop-over sites during their migration. Based on the home range analysis, we can conclude that Chinese Sparrowhawks reach their maximum home range in the summer and have multiple nuclear domains.
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14
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Lopez-Ricaurte L, Vansteelant WMG, Hernández-Pliego J, García-Silveira D, Bermejo-Bermejo A, Casado S, Cecere JG, de la Puente J, Garcés-Toledano F, Martínez-Dalmau J, Ortega A, Rodríguez-Moreno B, Rubolini D, Sarà M, Bustamante J. Barrier crossings and winds shape daily travel schedules and speeds of a flight generalist. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12044. [PMID: 34103580 PMCID: PMC8187636 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91378-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
External factors such as geography and weather strongly affect bird migration influencing daily travel schedules and flight speeds. For strictly thermal-soaring migrants, weather explains most seasonal and regional differences in speed. Flight generalists, which alternate between soaring and flapping flight, are expected to be less dependent on weather, and daily travel schedules are likely to be strongly influenced by geography and internal factors such as sex. We GPS-tracked the migration of 70 lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) to estimate the relative importance of external factors (wind, geography), internal factors (sex) and season, and the extent to which they explain variation in travel speed, distance, and duration. Our results show that geography and tailwind are important factors in explaining variation in daily travel schedules and speeds. We found that wind explained most of the seasonal differences in travel speed. In both seasons, lesser kestrels sprinted across ecological barriers and frequently migrated during the day and night. Conversely, they travelled at a slower pace and mainly during the day over non-barriers. Our results highlighted that external factors far outweighed internal factors and season in explaining variation in migratory behaviour of a flight generalist, despite its ability to switch between flight modes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Lopez-Ricaurte
- Departament of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Seville, Spain.
| | - Wouter M G Vansteelant
- Departament of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Daniel García-Silveira
- Departament of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Ana Bermejo-Bermejo
- Bird Monitoring Unit, SEO/BirdLife, C/Melquiades Biencinto 34, 28053, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Jacopo G Cecere
- Area Avifauna Migratrice, Istituto Superiore Per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via Ca' Fornacetta 9, 40064, Ozzano dell'Emilia BO, Italy
| | - Javier de la Puente
- Bird Monitoring Unit, SEO/BirdLife, C/Melquiades Biencinto 34, 28053, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Sarà
- Dipartimento STEBICEF, Università Degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Javier Bustamante
- Departament of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Seville, Spain.
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15
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Brown JM, van Loon EE, Bouten W, Camphuysen KCJ, Lens L, Müller W, Thaxter CB, Shamoun-Baranes J. Long-distance migrants vary migratory behaviour as much as short-distance migrants: An individual-level comparison from a seabird species with diverse migration strategies. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1058-1070. [PMID: 33496020 PMCID: PMC8247866 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
As environmental conditions fluctuate across years, seasonal migrants must determine where and when to move without comprehensive knowledge of conditions beyond their current location. Animals can address this challenge by following cues in their local environment to vary behaviour in response to current conditions, or by moving based on learned or inherited experience of past conditions resulting in fixed behaviour across years. It is often claimed that long‐distance migrants are more fixed in their migratory behaviour because as distance between breeding and wintering areas increases, reliability of cues to predict distant and future conditions decreases. While supported by some population‐level studies, the influence of migration distance on behavioural variation is seldom examined on an individual level. Lesser black‐backed gulls Larus fuscus are generalist seabirds that use a diversity of migration strategies. Using high‐resolution multi‐year GPS tracking data from 82 individuals from eight colonies in Western Europe, we quantified inter‐ and intra‐individual variation in non‐breeding distributions, winter site fidelity, migration routes and timing of migration, with the objectives of determining how much variation lesser black‐backed gulls have in their migratory behaviour and examining whether variation changes with migration distance. We found that intra‐individual variation was significantly lower than variation between individuals for non‐breeding distributions, winter site fidelity, migration routes and timing of migration, resulting in consistent individual strategies for all behaviours examined. Yet, intra‐individual variation ranged widely among individuals (e.g. winter site overlap: 0–0.91 out of 1; migration timing: 0–192 days), and importantly, individual differences in variation were not related to migration distance. The apparent preference for maintaining a consistent strategy, present in even the shortest distance migrants, suggests that familiarity may be more advantageous than exactly tracking current environmental conditions. Yet, variation in behaviour across years was observed in many individuals and could be substantial. This suggests that individuals, irrespective of migration distance, have the capacity to adjust to current conditions within the broad confines of their individual strategies, and occasionally, even change their strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Morgan Brown
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E Emiel van Loon
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Bouten
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kees C J Camphuysen
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, Texel, the Netherlands
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wendt Müller
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Research Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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16
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Louzao M, Ruiz J, Oyarzabal I, Basterretxea M, Pedrajas A, Mugerza A, Krug I, Cotano U, Mugerza E, Zarauz L, Santurtún M. Including ecosystem descriptors in current fishery data collection programmes to advance towards a holistic monitoring: Seabird abundance attending demersal trawlers. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:105043. [PMID: 32745737 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To develop an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management a holistic perspective is necessary that goes beyond target species management to preserve ecosystem functioning and, therefore, secure future food availability. To achieve these objectives, current fishery data collection programmes should widen their objectives to include the collection of ecosystem descriptors to effectively take advantage of funding and human resources in relation to fisheries monitoring already in place. From an ecological perspective, fishing discards are food subsidies unnaturally available that can profoundly impact the life history traits and population dynamics of seabirds, as well as community structure. In 2015, we took advantage of the Data Collection Framework (DCF) programme, monitoring the Basque trawling fleet, to monitor seabird abundance associated with trawlers as an additional task to be performed by the observers. The main objectives were (1) to develop a standard protocol from an interdisciplinary expert committee, (2) to obtain baseline information of seabird association with trawlers to be able to track changes and (3) to understand seabird abundance in relation to discard facilitation processes based on environmental and fishing parameters. Based on the developed standard protocol, more than 21 species of seabirds were recorded in 241 fishing hauls in the Bay of Biscay (ICES areas 8abd). This biogeographic area is an important migratory flyway and wintering area, where maximum number of seabirds attending trawlers were recorded between December and April (2015-2019). Based on Generalised Linear Models, seabird abundance was higher in multiple situations: harsher environmental conditions, less available discards, shallower areas, increased period of discard availability, higher number of trawlers simultaneously operating in the same fishing ground, in addition to the months of February and April. The core discarding ground was located in the outer French shelf between the latitudinal range of 44.5°N and 46°N, especially for otter trawl fishing. Our approach puts into value the seabird counts that the observers of the DCF can perform systematically, collecting relevant information on the effect of trawling on other biodiversity components such as seabirds. This information will be critical to respond to the application of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy regarding the effect of the Landing Obligation that seeks fishing sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Louzao
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain.
| | - Jon Ruiz
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Iñaki Oyarzabal
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Mikel Basterretxea
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Arkaitz Pedrajas
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Arnaitz Mugerza
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Iñigo Krug
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Unai Cotano
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Estanis Mugerza
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Lucía Zarauz
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Marina Santurtún
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
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17
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Anderson CM, Gilchrist HG, Ronconi RA, Shlepr KR, Clark DE, Fifield DA, Robertson GJ, Mallory ML. Both short and long distance migrants use energy-minimizing migration strategies in North American herring gulls. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:26. [PMID: 32549986 PMCID: PMC7294659 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-00207-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have proposed that birds migrating short distances migrate at an overall slower pace, minimizing energy expenditure, while birds migrating long distances minimize time spent on migration to cope with seasonal changes in environmental conditions. METHODS We evaluated variability in the migration strategies of Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), a generalist species with flexible foraging and flight behaviour. We tracked one population of long distance migrants and three populations of short distance migrants, and compared the directness of their migration routes, their overall migration speed, their travel speed, and their use of stopovers. RESULTS Our research revealed that Herring Gulls breeding in the eastern Arctic migrate long distances to spend the winter in the Gulf of Mexico, traveling more than four times farther than gulls from Atlantic Canada during autumn migration. While all populations used indirect routes, the long distance migrants were the least direct. We found that regardless of the distance the population traveled, Herring Gulls migrated at a slower overall migration speed than predicted by Optimal Migration Theory, but the long distance migrants had higher speeds on travel days. While long distance migrants used more stopover days overall, relative to the distance travelled all four populations used a similar number of stopover days. CONCLUSIONS When taken in context with other studies, we expect that the migration strategies of flexible generalist species like Herring Gulls may be more influenced by habitat and food resources than migration distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M. Anderson
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, 33 Westwood Ave, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6 Canada
| | - H. Grant Gilchrist
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada
| | - Robert A. Ronconi
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 45 Alderney Dr, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2N6 Canada
| | - Katherine R. Shlepr
- Atlantic Lab for Avian Research, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, 10 Bailey Drive, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3 Canada
| | - Daniel E. Clark
- Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Water Supply Protection, 485 Ware Road, Belchertown, MA 01007 USA
| | - David A. Fifield
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4T3 Canada
| | - Gregory J. Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4T3 Canada
| | - Mark L. Mallory
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, 33 Westwood Ave, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6 Canada
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18
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Tedeschi A, Sorrenti M, Bottazzo M, Spagnesi M, Telletxea I, Ibàñez R, Tormen N, De Pascalis F, Guidolin L, Rubolini D. Interindividual variation and consistency of migratory behavior in the Eurasian woodcock. Curr Zool 2020; 66:155-163. [PMID: 32440275 PMCID: PMC7233613 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Diverse spatio-temporal aspects of avian migration rely on relatively rigid endogenous programs. However, flexibility in migratory behavior may allow effective coping with unpredictable variation in ecological conditions that can occur during migration. We aimed at characterizing inter- and intraindividual variation of migratory behavior in a forest-dwelling wader species, the Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola, focusing on spatio-temporal consistency across repeated migration episodes. By satellite-tracking birds from their wintering sites along the Italian peninsula to their breeding areas, we disclosed a remarkable variability in migration distances, with some birds flying more than 6,000 km to Central Asian breeding grounds (up to 101°E). Prebreeding migration was faster and of shorter duration than postbreeding migration. Birds moving over longer distances migrated faster during prebreeding migration, and those breeding at northernmost latitudes left their wintering areas earlier. Moreover, birds making longer migrations departed earlier from their breeding sites. Breeding site fidelity was very high, whereas fidelity to wintering areas increased with age. Migration routes were significantly consistent, both among repeated migration episodes and between pre- and postbreeding migration. Prebreeding migration departure date was not significantly repeatable, whereas arrival date to the breeding areas was highly repeatable. Hence, interindividual variation in migratory behavior of woodcocks was mostly explained by the location of the breeding areas, and spatial consistency was relatively large through the entire annual cycle. Flexibility in prebreeding migration departure date may suggest that environmental effects have a larger influence on temporal than on spatial aspects of migratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Tedeschi
- Associazione "Amici di Scolopax", Via Roma, 57, Mugnano del Cardinale, AV, I-83027, Italy
| | - Michele Sorrenti
- Federazione Italiana della Caccia, Ufficio Avifauna Migratoria, Via Salaria 298/A, Roma, I-00199, Italy
| | - Michele Bottazzo
- Veneto Agricoltura, Viale dell'Università 14, Legnaro, PD, I-35020, Italy
| | - Mario Spagnesi
- Ekoclub International, Via per Volano 45, Volano di Codigoro, FE, I-44020, Italy
| | - Ibon Telletxea
- Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, Gijón, E-33208, Spain
| | - Ruben Ibàñez
- Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, Gijón, E-33208, Spain
| | - Nicola Tormen
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, Padova, I-35131, Italy
| | - Federico De Pascalis
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milano, I-20133, Italy
| | - Laura Guidolin
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, Padova, I-35131, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milano, I-20133, Italy
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19
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Martín-Vélez V, Mohring B, van Leeuwen CHA, Shamoun-Baranes J, Thaxter CB, Baert JM, Camphuysen CJ, Green AJ. Functional connectivity network between terrestrial and aquatic habitats by a generalist waterbird, and implications for biovectoring. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135886. [PMID: 31838416 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Birds are vectors of dispersal of propagules of plants and other organisms including pathogens, as well as nutrients and contaminants. Thus, through their movements they create functional connectivity between habitat patches. Most studies on connectivity provided by animals to date have focused on movements within similar habitat types. However, some waterbirds regularly switch between terrestrial, coastal and freshwater habitats throughout their daily routines. Lesser black-backed gulls that overwinter in Andalusia use different habitat types for roosting and foraging. In order to reveal their potential role in biovectoring among habitats, we created an inter-habitat connectivity network based on GPS tracking data. We applied connectivity measures by considering frequently visited sites as nodes, and flights as links, to determine the strength of connections in the network between habitats, and identify functional units where connections are more likely to happen. We acquired data for 42 tagged individuals (from five breeding colonies), and identified 5676 direct flights that connected 37 nodes. These 37 sites were classified into seven habitat types: reservoirs, natural lakes, ports, coastal marshes, fish ponds, rubbish dumps and ricefields. The Doñana ricefields acted as the central node in the network based on centrality measures. Furthermore, during the first half of winter when rice was harvested, ricefields were the most important habitat type in terms of total time spent. Overall, 90% of all direct flights between nodes were between rubbish dumps (for foraging) and roosts in other habitats, thereby connecting terrestrial and various wetland habitats. The strength of connections decreased between nodes as the distance between them increased, and was concentrated within ten independent spatial and functional units, especially between December and February. The pivotal role for ricefields and rubbish dumps in the network, and their high connectivity with aquatic habitats in general, have important implications for biovectoring into their surroundings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Martín-Vélez
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - B Mohring
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - C H A van Leeuwen
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - J Shamoun-Baranes
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - C B Thaxter
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK
| | - J M Baert
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - C J Camphuysen
- COS Department, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - A J Green
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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20
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Thaxter CB, Ross‐Smith VH, Bouten W, Clark NA, Conway GJ, Masden EA, Clewley GD, Barber LJ, Burton NHK. Avian vulnerability to wind farm collision through the year: Insights from lesser black‐backed gulls (
Larus fuscus
) tracked from multiple breeding colonies. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo‐Ecology Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Elizabeth A. Masden
- Environmental Research Institute North Highland College University of the Highlands and Islands Thurso UK
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21
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Blanco G, Sergio F, Frías Ó, Salinas P, Tanferna A, Hiraldo F, Barceló D, Eljarrat E. Integrating population connectivity into pollution assessment: Overwintering mixing reveals flame retardant contamination in breeding areas in a migratory raptor. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 166:553-561. [PMID: 29960221 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Determining the exposure and magnitude at which various pollutants are differentially assimilated at the breeding and non-breeding grounds of migratory wildlife is challenging. Here, the possibility of applying the migratory connectivity framework to understanding contamination in birds is illustrated by considering flame retardants in inviable eggs of a migratory raptor, the black kite (Milvus migrans). The occurrence and concentration of legacy and emerging compounds in eggs from the southeastern peri-urban area of Madrid city, central Spain, were compared with those from Doñana National Park in southern Spain. A much higher occurrence and concentration of multiple polybrominated diphenyl ethers and Dechlorane 602 were found in Madrid than Doñana, but the opposite patterns were found for Dechlorane Plus. Individuals from these and other breeding areas in western Europe showed a strong intermixing pattern over widespread wintering areas in Africa, as assessed by ringing recoveries and movements tracked by satellite devices. This diffuse migratory connectivity reveals breeding areas as the main contamination grounds. High contamination burdens sequestered in eggs point to rapid assimilation of these compounds before laying, associated with important emission sources in Madrid, especially landfills of partially incinerated urban refuse, and other anthropogenic operations. Diet composition regarding aquatic vs. terrestrial prey, and bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes are suggested to explain differential assimilation of some compounds, especially Dechlorane Plus in Doñana, although a local emission source polluting this area cannot be ruled out. Insight from the migratory connectivity framework can help to disentangle large-scale patterns of contaminant uptake and refocus attention on key regions and potential causes of chemical hazards in declining migratory species and human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Blanco
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Fabrizio Sergio
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estacion Biologica de Doñana CSIC, C/ Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Óscar Frías
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Salinas
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alessandro Tanferna
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estacion Biologica de Doñana CSIC, C/ Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fernando Hiraldo
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estacion Biologica de Doñana CSIC, C/ Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Damià Barceló
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ethel Eljarrat
- Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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High-resolution GPS tracking reveals sex differences in migratory behaviour and stopover habitat use in the Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5391. [PMID: 29599447 PMCID: PMC5876360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23605-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-, size- or age-dependent variation in migration strategies in birds is generally expected to reflect differences in competitive abilities. Theoretical and empirical studies thereby focus on differences in wintering areas, by which individuals may benefit from avoiding food competition during winter or ensuring an early return and access to prime nesting sites in spring. Here, we use GPS tracking to assess sex- and size-related variation in the spatial behaviour of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) throughout their annual cycle. We did not find sex- or size-dependent differences in wintering area or the timing of spring migration. Instead, sexual differences occurred prior to, and during, autumn migration, when females strongly focussed on agricultural areas. Females exhibited a more protracted autumn migration strategy, hence spent more time on stopover sites and arrived 15 days later at their wintering areas, than males. This shift in habitat use and protracted autumn migration coincided with the timing of moult, which overlaps with chick rearing and migration. Our results suggest that this overlap between energy-demanding activities may lead females to perform a more prolonged autumn migration, which results in spatiotemporal differences in foraging habitat use between the sexes.
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Meier CM, Karaardıç H, Aymí R, Peev SG, Bächler E, Weber R, Witvliet W, Liechti F. What makes Alpine swift ascend at twilight? Novel geolocators reveal year-round flight behaviour. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:45. [PMID: 29568149 PMCID: PMC5847200 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2438-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Studying individual flight behaviour throughout the year is indispensable to understand the ecology of a bird species. Recent development in technology allows now to track flight behaviour of small long-distance bird migrants throughout its annual cycle. The specific flight behaviour of twilight ascents in birds has been documented in a few studies, but only during a short period of the year, and never quantified on the individual level. It has been suggested that twilight ascents might be a role in orientation and navigation. Previous studies had reported the behaviour only near the breeding site and during migration. We investigated year-round flight behaviour of 34 individual Alpine swifts (Apus melba) of four different populations in relation to twilight ascents. We recorded twilight ascents all around the year and found a twofold higher frequency in ascents during the non-breeding residence phase in Africa compared to all other phases of the year. Dawn ascents were twice as common as dusk ascents and occurred mainly when atmospheric conditions remained stable over a 24-h period. We found no conclusive support that twilight ascents are essential for recalibration of compass cues and landmarks. Data on the wing flapping intensity revealed that high activity at twilight occurred more regularly than the ascents. We therefore conclude that alpine swift generally increase flight activity—also horizontal flight—during the twilight period and we suppose that this increased flight activity, including ascents, might be part of social interactions between individuals. Significance statement Year-round flight altitude tracking with a light-weight multi-sensor tag reveals that Alpine swifts ascend several hundred meters high at twilight regularly. The reason for this behaviour remains unclear and the low-light conditions at this time of the day preclude foraging as a possibility. The frequency and altitude of twilight ascents were highest during the non-breeding period, intermediate during migration and low for active breeders during the breeding phase. We discuss our findings in the context of existing hypotheses on twilight ascent and we propose an additional hypothesis which links twilight ascent with social interaction between flock members. Our study highlights how flight behaviour of individuals of a migratory bird species can be studied even during the sparsely documented non-breeding period. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00265-017-2438-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph M Meier
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Hakan Karaardıç
- Elementary Science Education Department, Education Faculty, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, 07400 Alanya, Turkey
| | - Raül Aymí
- Catalan Ornithological Institute, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Strahil G Peev
- 4Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2, Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Erich Bächler
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Roger Weber
- 5Bern University of Applied Sciences Engineering and Information Technology, Jlcoweg 1, 3400 Burgdorf, Switzerland
| | - Willem Witvliet
- Willem Witvliet, Zuidersloot 16, 1741 Broek op Langedijk, HL Netherlands
| | - Felix Liechti
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
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Bárbara A, Torrontegi O, Camacho MC, Barral M, Hernández JM, Höfle U. Avian Influenza Virus Surveillance in South-Central Spain Using Fecal Samples of Aquatic Birds Foraging at Landfills. Front Vet Sci 2017; 4:178. [PMID: 29124060 PMCID: PMC5662893 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquatic wild birds have been intensively studied to better understand their role in avian influenza virus (AIV) maintenance and spread. To date, AIV surveillance has primarily focused on natural aquatic environments where different bird species aggregate and viral survival is enhanced. However, artificial habitats such as landfills are attracting substantial numbers of wild birds, AIV reservoir species included. The use of landfills as a predictable food source has significantly influenced population size, migratory traits, and feeding behavior of white storks (Ciconia ciconia) and black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) among others. Considering the proximity of landfills to urban settlements and frequently poultry-farms, targeted monitoring of AIV in bird species that forage at landfills but are known to also frequent urban and agricultural habitats could be a useful means for monitoring of AIV, especially during periods of bird aggregation. During the wintering season 2014-2015, the prevalence of AIV in five avian species at two landfills in South-Central Spain was explored by rRT-PCR and species related temporal variation in AIV prevalence determined. We collected and tested 1,186 fresh fecal samples from white storks (N = 689), cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis, N = 116) and mixed flocks of gulls (N = 381) as well as cloacal and oral swabs from five birds found dead. Seven samples contained AIV, five from gulls and one each from a stork and a cattle egret. Overall, AIV prevalence was 0.60%. No significant temporal variation was observed in AIV prevalence. Prevalence differed significantly among the sampled taxonomic groups, being highest in gulls (1.31%). H16N3 subtype was detected from a cattle egret and H11N9 subtype from a white stork, whereas gulls harbored both subtypes in addition to H11N3 subtype. H16 subtype detection in a cattle egret evidences its host range may not be restricted to gulls. Our results indicate that wild birds foraging at landfills may carry different LPAIV subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Bárbara
- SaBio Working Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Maria-Cruz Camacho
- SaBio Working Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Jose-Manuel Hernández
- Freelancer (Formerly affiliated with Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Ursula Höfle
- SaBio Working Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
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Juvaste R, Arriero E, Gagliardo A, Holland R, Huttunen MJ, Mueller I, Thorup K, Wikelski M, Hannila J, Penttinen ML, Wistbacka R. Satellite tracking of red-listed nominate lesser black-backed gulls (Larus f. fuscus): Habitat specialisation in foraging movements raises novel conservation needs. Glob Ecol Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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26
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Rock P, Camphuysen C, Shamoun-Baranes J, Ross-Smith VH, Vaughan IP. Results from the first GPS tracking of roof-nesting Herring GullsLarus argentatusin the UK. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/03078698.2016.1197698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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27
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Wikelski M, Arriero E, Gagliardo A, Holland RA, Huttunen MJ, Juvaste R, Mueller I, Tertitski G, Thorup K, Wild M, Alanko M, Bairlein F, Cherenkov A, Cameron A, Flatz R, Hannila J, Hüppop O, Kangasniemi M, Kranstauber B, Penttinen ML, Safi K, Semashko V, Schmid H, Wistbacka R. True navigation in migrating gulls requires intact olfactory nerves. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17061. [PMID: 26597351 PMCID: PMC4657012 DOI: 10.1038/srep17061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During migratory journeys, birds may become displaced from their normal migratory route. Experimental evidence has shown that adult birds can correct for such displacements and return to their goal. However, the nature of the cues used by migratory birds to perform long distance navigation is still debated. In this experiment we subjected adult lesser black-backed gulls migrating from their Finnish/Russian breeding grounds (from >60°N) to Africa (to < 5°N) to sensory manipulation, to determine the sensory systems required for navigation. We translocated birds westward (1080 km) or eastward (885 km) to simulate natural navigational challenges. When translocated westwards and outside their migratory corridor birds with olfactory nerve section kept a clear directional preference (southerly) but were unable to compensate for the displacement, while intact birds and gulls with the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve sectioned oriented towards their population-specific migratory corridor. Thus, air-borne olfactory information seems to be important for migrating gulls to navigate successfully in some circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Ornithology, Konstanz University, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Elena Arriero
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology, Via Volta 6, Pisa University, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Richard A. Holland
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Markku J. Huttunen
- School of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu campus, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Risto Juvaste
- Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Inge Mueller
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Grigori Tertitski
- Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnystr. 29, Moscow, 119017, Russia
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Martin Wild
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland. Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Franz Bairlein
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Alexander Cherenkov
- Solovetskiy Branch of White Sea Biological Station of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Zaozernaya str. 17-1-6, Solovetskiy, Arkhangelsk district, 164409, Russia
| | - Alison Cameron
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Reinhard Flatz
- Airport Hohenems, Bahnhofstr. 35, 6923 Lauterach, Austria
| | | | - Ommo Hüppop
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | | | - Bart Kranstauber
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Maija-Liisa Penttinen
- Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
- Västäräkintie 7, 80130 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Kamran Safi
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Vladimir Semashko
- Field Educational Centre “Ecosystem”, Festivalnaya st., 22-8-111, Moscow, Russia
| | - Heidi Schmid
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
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From Birds to Bacteria: Generalised Velocity Jump Processes with Resting States. Bull Math Biol 2015; 77:1213-36. [PMID: 26060098 PMCID: PMC4548017 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-015-0083-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
There are various cases of animal movement where behaviour broadly switches between two modes of operation, corresponding to a long-distance movement state and a resting or local movement state. Here, a mathematical description of this process is formulated, adapted from Friedrich et al. (Phys Rev E, 74:041103, 2006b). The approach allows the specification any running or waiting time distribution along with any angular and speed distributions. The resulting system of integro-partial differential equations is tumultuous, and therefore, it is necessary to both simplify and derive summary statistics. An expression for the mean squared displacement is derived, which shows good agreement with experimental data from the bacterium Escherichia coli and the gull Larus fuscus. Finally, a large time diffusive approximation is considered via a Cattaneo approximation (Hillen in Discrete Continuous Dyn Syst Ser B, 5:299–318, 2003). This leads to the novel result that the effective diffusion constant is dependent on the mean and variance of the running time distribution but only on the mean of the waiting time distribution.
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Arriero E, Müller I, Juvaste R, Martínez FJ, Bertolero A. Variation in immune parameters and disease prevalence among Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus sp.) with different migratory strategies. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118279. [PMID: 25679797 PMCID: PMC4334556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to control infections is a key trait for migrants that must be balanced against other costly features of the migratory life. In this study we explored the links between migration and disease ecology by examining natural variation in parasite exposure and immunity in several populations of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) with different migratory strategies. We found higher activity of natural antibodies in long distance migrants from the nominate subspecies L.f.fuscus. Circulating levels of IgY showed large variation at the population level, while immune parameters associated with antimicrobial activity showed extensive variation at the individual level irrespective of population or migratory strategy. Pathogen prevalence showed large geographical variation. However, the seroprevalence of one of the gull-specific subtypes of avian influenza (H16) was associated to the migratory strategy, with lower prevalence among the long-distance migrants, suggesting that migration may play a role in disease dynamics of certain pathogens at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Arriero
- Department of Migration and Immunoecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell,Germany
- Department of Zoology and Anthropology, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Inge Müller
- Department of Migration and Immunoecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell,Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Risto Juvaste
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turun yliopisto, Finland
| | | | - Albert Bertolero
- Institute of Aquatic Ecosystems (IRTA), Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain
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Thaxter CB, Ross-Smith VH, Clark JA, Clark NA, Conway GJ, Marsh M, Leat EH, Burton NH. A trial of three harness attachment methods and their suitability for long-term use on Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Skuas. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/03078698.2014.995546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Spencer NC, Gilchrist HG, Mallory ML. Annual movement patterns of endangered ivory gulls: the importance of sea ice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115231. [PMID: 25551556 PMCID: PMC4281149 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) is an endangered seabird that spends its entire year in the Arctic environment. In the past three decades, threats from various sources have contributed to a >70% decline in Canada. To assess the annual habitat needs of this species, we attached satellite transmitters to 12 ivory gulls on Seymour Island, Nunavut in 2010, which provided up to four breeding seasons of tracking data. Analysis of migratory behaviour revealed considerable individual variation of post-breeding migratory route selection. Ivory gulls traveled a median of 74 days during post-breeding migration, but only 18 days during pre-breeding migration. In contrast to predictions, ivory gulls did not use the Greenland coast during migratory periods. Ivory gulls overwintered near the ice edge in Davis Strait, but also used the Labrador Sea in late February and March. We suggest that the timing of formation and recession and extent of sea ice plays a large role in ivory gull distribution and migratory timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora C. Spencer
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - H. Grant Gilchrist
- Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark L. Mallory
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Johnston A, Cook ASCP, Wright LJ, Humphreys EM, Burton NHK. Modelling flight heights of marine birds to more accurately assess collision risk with offshore wind turbines. J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison Johnston
- British Trust for Ornithology; The Nunnery Thetford Norfolk IP24 2PU UK
| | | | - Lucy J. Wright
- British Trust for Ornithology; The Nunnery Thetford Norfolk IP24 2PU UK
| | - Elizabeth M. Humphreys
- British Trust for Ornithology Scotland; School of Biological & Environmental Sciences; Cottrell Building; University of Stirling; Stirling FK9 4LA UK
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La Sorte FA, Fink D, Hochachka WM, DeLong JP, Kelling S. Population-level scaling of avian migration speed with body size and migration distance for powered fliers. Ecology 2013; 94:1839-47. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1768.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Tanferna A, López-Jiménez L, Blas J, Hiraldo F, Sergio F. Different location sampling frequencies by satellite tags yield different estimates of migration performance: pooling data requires a common protocol. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49659. [PMID: 23166742 PMCID: PMC3498226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2012] [Accepted: 10/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Migration research is in rapid expansion and increasingly based on sophisticated satellite-tracking devices subject to constant technological refinement, but is still ripe with descriptive studies and in need of meta-analyses looking for emergent generalisations. In particular, coexistence of studies and devices with different frequency of location sampling and spatial accuracy generates doubts of data compatibility, potentially preventing meta-analyses. We used satellite-tracking data on a migratory raptor to: (1) test whether data based on different location sampling frequencies and on different position subsampling approaches are compatible, and (2) seek potential solutions that enhance compatibility and enable eventual meta-analyses. Methodology/Principal Findings We used linear mixed models to analyse the differences in the speed and route length of the migration tracks of 36 Black kites (Milvus migrans) satellite-tagged with two different types of devices (Argos vs GPS tags), entailing different regimes of position sampling frequency. We show that different location sampling frequencies and data subsampling approaches generate large (up to 33%) differences in the estimates of route length and migration speed of this migratory bird. Conclusions/Significance Our results show that the abundance of locations available for analysis affects the tortuosity and realism of the estimated migration path. To avoid flaws in future meta-analyses or unnecessary loss of data, we urge researchers to reach an agreement on a common protocol of data presentation, and to recognize that all transmitter-based studies are likely to underestimate the actual distance traveled by the marked animal. As ecological research becomes increasingly technological, new technologies should be matched with improvements in analytical capacity that guarantee data compatibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Tanferna
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigación Científica, Sevilla, Spain.
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Mellone U, Klaassen RHG, García-Ripollés C, Limiñana R, López-López P, Pavón D, Strandberg R, Urios V, Vardakis M, Alerstam T. Interspecific comparison of the performance of soaring migrants in relation to morphology, meteorological conditions and migration strategies. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39833. [PMID: 22768314 PMCID: PMC3388085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Performance of migrating birds can be affected by a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors like morphology, meteorological conditions and migration strategies. We compared travel speeds of four raptor species during their crossing of the Sahara desert. Focusing the analyses on this region allows us to compare different species under equivalent conditions in order to disentangle which factors affect migratory performance. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING We tracked raptors using GPS satellite transmitters from Sweden, Spain and Italy, and evaluated their migratory performance at both an hourly and a daily scale. Hourly data (flight speed and altitude for intervals of two hours) were analyzed in relation to time of day, species and season, and daily data (distance between roosting sites) in relation to species, season, day length and tailwind support. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Despite a clear variation in morphology, interspecific differences were generally very small, and did only arise in spring, with long-distance migrants (>5000 km: osprey and Western marsh-harrier) being faster than species that migrate shorter distances (Egyptian vulture and short-toed eagle). Our results suggest that the most important factor explaining hourly variation in flight speed is time of day, while at a daily scale, tailwind support is the most important factor explaining variation in daily distance, raising new questions about the consequences of possible future changes in worldwide wind patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Mellone
- Estación Biológica Terra Natura, Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, CIBIO, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
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