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Oltra J, García J, Carbonell I, Jambas J, Álvarez E, Iglesias-Lebrija JJ, Gil-Carrera A, Pérez-García JM, Frías Ó, González Del Barrio JL, Blanco G, Carrete M. Early life movements and mortality of Egyptian vultures: Implications for transcontinental conservation. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70291. [PMID: 39279788 PMCID: PMC11402506 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the movements and mortality of individuals across different life stages is crucial for the effective conservation of wild populations. We used data from 32 Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) tagged with GPS transmitters as nestlings in three Iberian breeding areas to study their dependence period, migration routes, movements in Africa, and mortality at each stage. Our results show no significant differences in the timing of nest departure or the duration of the dependence period between individuals of different sexes or breeding nuclei. Most juveniles migrated to sub-Saharan Africa in their first year, but some (3 of 32, 9.4%) remained in the Iberian Peninsula. Individuals that migrated to Africa did so annually, while those remaining in Iberia never migrated to the Sahel, indicating distinct migratory and non-migratory strategies. Non-migratory individuals consistently moved northward during the breeding season to their natal territories. Siblings did not coordinate their migration strategy or timing. All juveniles showed extensive overlap in the vast areas used in Africa, where females arrived before males, and in the Iberian Peninsula. Our study also revealed that no juveniles died immediately after fledging, but that none of the tagged individuals lived more than 7 years or were recruited as breeders. Although most casualties occurred during the longer stay in the Sahel, the mortality rate was highest during the few days of the first migration. Our results show that despite small variations in movement patterns between breeding nuclei and sexes, Egyptian vultures face similar challenges during the years before recruitment as breeders, mostly determined by their migratory strategy. These findings are relevant for designing conservation strategies, both in breeding areas and, more importantly, in wintering areas and along migration pathways. Such strategies will significantly impact the entire Iberian population of this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Oltra
- Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla Spain
| | | | | | - José Jambas
- Oriolus Ambiente e Eco Turismo LDA Oporto Portugal
| | - Ernesto Álvarez
- Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat (GREFA) Majadahonda Spain
| | | | | | | | - Óscar Frías
- Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla Spain
| | | | - Guillermo Blanco
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC) Madrid Spain
| | - Martina Carrete
- Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla Spain
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2
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Pekarsky S, Shohami D, Horvitz N, Bowie RCK, Kamath PL, Markin Y, Getz WM, Nathan R. Cranes soar on thermal updrafts behind cold fronts as they migrate across the sea. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231243. [PMID: 38229520 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Thermal soaring conditions above the sea have long been assumed absent or too weak for terrestrial migrating birds, forcing obligate soarers to take long detours and avoid sea-crossing, and facultative soarers to cross exclusively by costly flapping flight. Thus, while atmospheric convection does develop at sea and is used by some seabirds, it has been largely ignored in avian migration research. Here, we provide direct evidence for routine thermal soaring over open sea in the common crane, the heaviest facultative soarer known among terrestrial migrating birds. Using high-resolution biologging from 44 cranes tracked across their transcontinental migration over 4 years, we show that soaring performance was no different over sea than over land in mid-latitudes. Sea-soaring occurred predominantly in autumn when large water-air temperature difference followed mid-latitude cyclones. Our findings challenge a fundamental migration research paradigm and suggest that obligate soarers avoid sea-crossing not due to the absence or weakness of thermals but due to their low frequency, for which they cannot compensate with prolonged flapping. Conversely, facultative soarers other than cranes should also be able to use thermals over the sea. Marine cold air outbreaks, imperative to global energy budget and climate, may also be important for bird migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha Pekarsky
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - David Shohami
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Nir Horvitz
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Rauri C K Bowie
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
| | - Pauline L Kamath
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Yuri Markin
- Oksky State Reserve, pos. Brykin Bor, Spassky raion, Ryazanskaya oblast 391072, Russia
| | - Wayne M Getz
- School Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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Efrat R, Hatzofe O, Mueller T, Sapir N, Berger-Tal O. Early and accumulated experience shape migration and flight in Egyptian vultures. Curr Biol 2023; 33:5526-5532.e4. [PMID: 38042150 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Two types of experience affect animals' behavioral proficiencies and, accordingly, their fitness: early-life experience, an animal's environment during its early development, and acquired experience, the repeated practice of a specific task.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Yet, how these two experience types and their interactions affect different proficiencies is still an open question. Here, we study the interactions between these two types of experience during migration, a critical and challenging period.9,10 We do so by comparing migratory proficiencies between birds with different early-life experiences and explain these differences by testing fine-scale flight mechanisms. We used data collected by GPS transmitters during 127 autumn migrations of 65 individuals to study the flight proficiencies of two groups of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus), a long-distance, soaring raptor.11,12 The two groups differed greatly in their early-life experience, one group being captive bred and the other wild hatched.13 Both groups improved their migratory performance with acquired experience, exhibiting shorter migration times, longer daily progress, and improved flight skills, specifically more efficient soaring-gliding behavior. The observed improvements were mostly apparent for captive-bred vultures, which were the least efficient during their first migration but were able to catch up in their migratory performance already in the second migration. Thus, we show how the strong negative effects of early-life experience were offset by acquired experience. Our findings uncover how the interaction between early-life and acquired experiences may shape animals' proficiencies and shed new light on the ontogeny of animal migration, suggesting possible effects of sensitive periods of learning on the acquisition of migratory skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Efrat
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8499000 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
| | - Ohad Hatzofe
- Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Am Ve'Olamo 3, 9546303 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Georg Voigt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Biological Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max von Laue, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nir Sapir
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8499000 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
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Kim H, Lim Y. Functional clustering on a sphere via Riemannian functional principal components. Stat (Int Stat Inst) 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/sta4.557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hyunsung Kim
- Department of Statistics Chung‐Ang University Seoul 06974 Korea
| | - Yaeji Lim
- Department of Statistics Chung‐Ang University Seoul 06974 Korea
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Headland T, Colombelli-Négrel D, Callaghan CT, Sumasgutner SC, Kleindorfer S, Sumasgutner P. Smaller Australian raptors have greater urban tolerance. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11559. [PMID: 37463922 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38493-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanisation is occurring around the world at a rapid rate and is generally associated with negative impacts on biodiversity at local, regional, and global scales. Examining the behavioural response profiles of wildlife to urbanisation helps differentiate between species that do or do not show adaptive responses to changing landscapes and hence are more or less likely to persist in such environments. Species-specific responses to urbanisation are poorly understood in the Southern Hemisphere compared to the Northern Hemisphere, where most of the published literature is focussed. This is also true for raptors, despite their high diversity and comparably high conservation concern in the Southern Hemisphere, and their critical role within ecosystems as bioindicators of environmental health. Here, we explore this knowledge gap using community science data sourced from eBird to investigate the urban tolerance of 24 Australian raptor species at a continental scale. We integrated eBird data with a global continuous measure of urbanisation, artificial light at night (ALAN), to derive an urban tolerance index, ranking species from positive to negative responses according to their tolerance of urban environments. We then gathered trait data from the published literature to assess whether certain traits (body mass, nest substrate, habitat type, feeding guild, and migratory status) were associated with urban tolerance. Body size was negatively associated with urban tolerance, as smaller raptors had greater urban tolerance than larger raptors. Out of the 24 species analysed, 13 species showed tolerance profiles for urban environments (positive response), and 11 species showed avoidance profiles for urban environments (negative response). The results of this study provide impetus to conserve native habitat and improve urban conditions for larger-bodied raptor species to conserve Australian raptor diversity in an increasingly urbanised world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Headland
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | | | - Corey T Callaghan
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314-7719, USA
| | - Shane C Sumasgutner
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center (KLF), Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Fischerau 13, 4645, Grünau/Almtal, Austria
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center (KLF), Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Fischerau 13, 4645, Grünau/Almtal, Austria
| | - Petra Sumasgutner
- Konrad Lorenz Research Center (KLF), Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Fischerau 13, 4645, Grünau/Almtal, Austria.
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Longarini A, Duriez O, Shepard E, Safi K, Wikelski M, Scacco M. Effect of harness design for tag attachment on the flight performance of five soaring species. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:39. [PMID: 37415232 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00408-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bio-logging devices play a fundamental and indispensable role in movement ecology studies, particularly in the wild. However, researchers are aware of the influence that attaching devices can have on animals, particularly on their behaviour, energy expenditure and survival. The way a device is attached to an animal's body has also potential consequences for the collected data, and quantifying the type and magnitude of such potential effects is fundamental to enable researchers to combine and compare data from different studies, as much as it is to improve animal welfare. For over two decades, large terrestrial birds have been in the focus of long-term movement ecology research, employing bio-logging devices attached with different types of harnesses. However, comparative studies investigating the effects of different harness types used on these species are scarce. METHODS In this study, we tested for potential differences in data collected by two commonly used harness types, backpack and leg-loop, on the flight performance of 10 individuals from five soaring raptor species, equipped with high resolution bio-logging devices, in the same area and time. We explored the effect of harness type on vertical speed, airspeed, glide ratio, height above sea level, distance travelled, proportion of soaring and flapping behaviour, and VeDBA (a proxy for energy expenditure) between and within individuals, all used as fine-scale measures of flight performance. RESULTS Birds equipped with leg-loops climbed up to 0.36 ms[Formula: see text] faster, reached 25.9% greater altitudes while soaring and spent less time in active flight compared to birds equipped with backpacks, suggesting that backpack harnesses, compared to leg-loops, might cause additional drag affecting the birds' flight performance. A lower VeDBA, a lower rate of sinking while gliding and slightly higher glide ratio and airspeeds were also indicative of less drag using leg-loops, even though the effect on these parameters was comparable to inter-individual differences. CONCLUSIONS Our results add to the existing literature highlighting the design-related advantages of leg-loops, and support the use of leg-loops as a better alternative to backpack harnesses for large soaring birds, when possible. Our study also highlights how apparently small changes in device attachment can lead to notable improvements in tagging practice, with implications for animal welfare, data interpretation and comparability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Longarini
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Olivier Duriez
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 CNRS-Université de Montpellier- EPHE-Université Paul Valery, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Emily Shepard
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Kamran Safi
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Migration, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Migration, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martina Scacco
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Migration, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany.
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.
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Hertel AG, Efrat R, Reznikov K, Sapir N, Berger-Tal O, Mueller T. Time constraints may pace the ontogeny of movement behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222429. [PMID: 37015276 PMCID: PMC10072934 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
During early development, juvenile animals need to acquire a diverse behavioural repertoire to interact with their environment. The ontogeny of animal behaviour, is paced by the motivation to improve, e.g. internal clocks, and limited by external constraints, e.g. weather conditions. We here evaluate how naive Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) improve in locomotor performance, measured as daily maximum displacement, prior to their first migration under three different time constraint regimes: we compared wild hatched vultures, migrating one month after fledging, with captive-hatched vultures, released in spring four months or in winter nine months before migration. We found that the time until migration paced the development of movement behaviour: wild birds rapidly increased displacement distances within the first two weeks after fledging, while spring and winter released vultures delayed movement increases by two and four months, respectively. Under relaxed time constraints captive-hatched vultures displayed diverse functional forms of performance enhancements and therefore great variability in individual ontogeny of movement behaviour. While weather conditions in winter could limit flight movements, some birds indeed moved immediately after their release, indicating that weather may not be limiting. Our findings promote the idea that relaxed ecological constraints could uncover hidden phenotypic flexibility in ontogeny, which could present a greater potential for adaptability under environmental change than currently expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne G Hertel
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt (Main), Hessen, Germany
| | - Ron Efrat
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
| | - Korin Reznikov
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Nir Sapir
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt (Main), Hessen, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
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8
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Environmental and social correlates, and energetic consequences of fitness maximisation on different migratory behaviours in a long-lived scavenger. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03223-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Stara K, Saravia-Mullin V, Tsiakiris R, Adefolu S, Akyol A, Akyol Rİ, Asswad NG, Çetin T, Dayyoub M, Dushi G, Ivande ST, Kordopatis P, Kret E, Özuslu S, Petrovski N, Simeonova I, Spassova Y, Qaneer TE, Pourchier C, Saad LJ, ElSafoury H, Topi M, Trajҫe A, Ziu D, Nikolov SC. Following the White Vulture: Ethno-ornithology along the Flyway of the Egyptian Vulture ( Neophron percnopterus). HUMAN ECOLOGY: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL 2022; 50:725-738. [PMID: 35729956 PMCID: PMC9188277 DOI: 10.1007/s10745-022-00340-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Vultures constitute globally the most rapidly declining group of birds. Across their wide distribution range, they share common ecological functions and unfavourable conservation status while being associated with varying habitats, lifestyles, cultural standing, and threats. We reveal conceptualisations about the emblematic yet critically endangered Egyptian vulture along its migratory flyway from the Balkans through the Middle East to Africa. Information was gathered through interviews, focus group discussions, and market surveys, with 420 people in 11 participating countries contributing overall. Our results showed that all vultures are recognised primarily for the environmental cleaning services, but the level of awareness differs between countries. Τhe Egyptian vulture has some perceptual advantages based on its white color, migratory nature, and endangered conservation status. This underlines its suitability as a charismatic flagship species that can potentially benefit other vulture species and thus enforce broader vulture conservation initiatives. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10745-022-00340-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalliopi Stara
- Laboratory of Ecology, Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, University campus, Ioannina, 45110 Greece
- Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece, Ag. Konstantinou 52, Athens, 10437 Greece
| | | | - Rigas Tsiakiris
- Department of Forest Administration and Management, Forestry Service of Ioannina, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Marikas Kotopouli 62, Ioannina, 45445 Greece
| | - Solomon Adefolu
- Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Km 19 Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Adem Akyol
- Doğa Derneği/BirdLife Turkey, Orhanli Mah. 7102 Sk. No:1, Seferihisar, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Raziye İçtepe Akyol
- Doğa Derneği/BirdLife Turkey, Orhanli Mah. 7102 Sk. No:1, Seferihisar, Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Turan Çetin
- Doğa Derneği/BirdLife Turkey, Orhanli Mah. 7102 Sk. No:1, Seferihisar, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Maher Dayyoub
- Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife, Latakia, Boka suburb Syria
| | - Gligor Dushi
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment of Albania (PPNEA), Rr. Janos Hunyadi, P.32/A.11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
| | - Samuel Tertese Ivande
- A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI), University of Jos Biological Conservatory, P.O. Box 13404, Jos-East LGA, Laminga, Plateau State 930001 Nigeria
| | - Panagiotis Kordopatis
- Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece, Ag. Konstantinou 52, Athens, 10437 Greece
| | | | - Serdar Özuslu
- Doğa Derneği/BirdLife Turkey, Orhanli Mah. 7102 Sk. No:1, Seferihisar, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Nenad Petrovski
- Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), Boris Trajkovski st. 7 No. 7A, Skopje, 1000 North Macedonia
| | | | - Yana Spassova
- ESTAT Agency, 9, Sv.Sedmochislenitsi str, Sofia, 1421 Bulgaria
| | - Tareq Emad Qaneer
- Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN)/BirdLife Jordan, Dahiat Al-Rasheed, Building No. 4, Baker Al-Baw Street, Amman, Jordan
| | - Cloé Pourchier
- Sahara Conservation Fund, Yantala Haut, Niamey, YN-121 Niger
| | - Louis Junior Saad
- Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon/Birdlife Lebanon, Awad Bldg, 6th floor, Abdul Aziz Street, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hana ElSafoury
- Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE), 1 Bin Kutiba St, Nasr City, Cairo, 11487 Egypt
| | - Mirjan Topi
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment of Albania (PPNEA), Rr. Janos Hunyadi, P.32/A.11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
| | - Aleksandër Trajҫe
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment of Albania (PPNEA), Rr. Janos Hunyadi, P.32/A.11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
| | - Denada Ziu
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment of Albania (PPNEA), Rr. Janos Hunyadi, P.32/A.11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
| | - Stoyan C. Nikolov
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB)/BirdLife Bulgaria, PO box 50, Yavorov complex, bl. 71, en. 4, Sofia, 1111 Bulgaria
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Tao L, Bhandawat V. Mechanisms of Variability Underlying Odor-Guided Locomotion. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:871884. [PMID: 35600988 PMCID: PMC9115574 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.871884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in locomotion mediated by odors (odor-guided locomotion) are an important mechanism by which animals discover resources important to their survival. Odor-guided locomotion, like most other behaviors, is highly variable. Variability in behavior can arise at many nodes along the circuit that performs sensorimotor transformation. We review these sources of variability in the context of the Drosophila olfactory system. While these sources of variability are important, using a model for locomotion, we show that another important contributor to behavioral variability is the stochastic nature of decision-making during locomotion as well as the persistence of these decisions: Flies choose the speed and curvature stochastically from a distribution and locomote with the same speed and curvature for extended periods. This stochasticity in locomotion will result in variability in behavior even if there is no noise in sensorimotor transformation. Overall, the noise in sensorimotor transformation is amplified by mechanisms of locomotion making odor-guided locomotion in flies highly variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangyu Tao
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Vikas Bhandawat
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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11
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Deboelpaep E, Partoens L, Koedam N, Vanschoenwinkel B. Highway(s) overhead: Strong differences in wetland connectivity and protected status challenge waterbird migration along the four Palearctic‐Afrotropical flyways. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Evelien Deboelpaep
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel Ecology & Biodiversity Research Group Community Ecology Lab Brussels Belgium
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel Ecology & Biodiversity Research Group Plant Biology & Nature Management Brussels Belgium
| | - Lisa Partoens
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel Ecology & Biodiversity Research Group Community Ecology Lab Brussels Belgium
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel Ecology & Biodiversity Research Group Plant Biology & Nature Management Brussels Belgium
| | - Nico Koedam
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel Ecology & Biodiversity Research Group Plant Biology & Nature Management Brussels Belgium
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel Ecology & Biodiversity Research Group Community Ecology Lab Brussels Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management University of the Free State Bloemfontein South Africa
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12
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Zuberogoitia I, Morant J, González-Oreja JA, Martínez JE, Larrinoa M, Ruiz J, Aginako I, Cinos C, Díaz E, Martínez F, Galarza A, Pérez de Ana JM, Vacas G, Lardizabal B, Iriarte I, Zabala J. Management Actions Promote Human-Wildlife Coexistence in Highly Anthropized Landscapes: The Case of an Endangered Avian Scavenger. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.656390] [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
Anthropized landscapes are characterized by various human activities related to resource extraction, recreational activities, and urbanization, among others. Conservation of species living in such landscapes is challenging due to the lack of compatibility between wildlife and human needs, which can create win-lose scenarios for target species. Therefore, adequate management practices are necessary to reduce conflicts and promote coexistence between wildlife and human beings. Here, we test the effectiveness of management measures on the productivity of an Egyptian vulture population living in an anthropized region of Northern Spain by using long-term monitoring data (2000–2020). During the first decade, we demonstrated that disturbance events negatively affected the species reproduction. Therefore, in 2010 we started a management plan in which we first established a basis for the species protection, and second we developed management actions to avoid or reduce the impact of potential disturbance events on the Egyptian vulture’ breeding. We observed that almost half of the disturbances detected after the management was related to resource extraction activities such as forestry (40.6%). Management measures effectively increased productivity (84 vs 137, chicks fledged successfully before and after, respectively) and the breeding success of the pairs in which the disturbances were detected and stopped (66.7%) was much higher than those non-managed and non-stopped in time (17.4%). Moreover, we estimated that 44 nestlings (32.1%) would have died without management actions during the second decade. Overall, our work demonstrated that collaborative networks can design and implement effective management measures for endangered territorial species, taking into account all agents involved (policymakers, rangers, stakeholders, general public, and researchers) in the conservation area. Thereby, it alleviates conflicts in human-dominated ecosystems and generates a balanced scenario that favors long-term sustainable human-wildlife coexistence.
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Oppel S, Saravia V, Bounas A, Arkumarev V, Kret E, Dobrev V, Dobrev D, Kordopatis P, Skartsi T, Velevski M, Petrovski N, Bino T, Topi M, Klisurov I, Stoychev S, Nikolov SC. Population reinforcement and demographic changes needed to stabilise the population of a migratory vulture. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Oppel
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Cambridge UK
| | | | | | - Volen Arkumarev
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria Sofia Bulgaria
| | | | - Vladimir Dobrev
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria Sofia Bulgaria
| | - Dobromir Dobrev
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria Sofia Bulgaria
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Mirjan Topi
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania Tirana Albania
| | | | - Stoycho Stoychev
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria Sofia Bulgaria
| | - Stoyan C. Nikolov
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria Sofia Bulgaria
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14
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Birds use individually consistent temperature cues to time their migration departure. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2026378118. [PMID: 34260383 PMCID: PMC8285904 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2026378118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether migratory populations are preadapted or constrained in responding to global climate change largely depends on which cues individuals use when deciding to start their migration. The identity of these cues is revealed by whether response thresholds are consistent within, but differ between, individuals (“repeatability”). By satellite tracking 48 individuals across multiple migrations, we show that 1) Asian houbara used the environmental cue of local temperature, which was correlated between wintering and breeding grounds, to time their spring migration departure; 2) departure responses to temperature varied between individuals but were individually repeatable; and 3) individuals’ use of temperature as a cue allowed for adaptive population-level change in migration timing, relative to annual variation in spring temperatures. A fundamental issue in migration biology is how birds decide when to start their journey, given that arriving too early or too late in a variable environment reduces individual fitness. Internal circannual regulation and predictable cues such as photoperiod prepare birds for migration, while variable external cues such as temperature and wind are thought to fine-tune departure times; however, this has not been demonstrated at the key point at which an individual animal decides to start migrating. In theory, environmental cues correlated between departure and arrival sites allow informed departure decisions. For 48 satellite-tracked Asian houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii, a medium-distance migrant with climatic connectivity between wintering and breeding areas, each tracked across multiple years, spring departure was under individually consistent temperature conditions, with greater individual repeatability than for photoperiod or wind. Individuals occupied a range of wintering sites latitudinally spanning 1,200 km but departed at lower temperatures from more northerly latitudes. These individual departure decisions produced earlier mean population-level departure and arrival dates in warmer springs. Phenological adjustments were fully compensatory, because individuals arrived on the breeding grounds under similar temperature conditions each year. Individuals’ autumn departure decisions were also repeatable for temperature but less distinct than for spring, likely because of relaxed time constraints on leaving breeding grounds and the use of wind as a supplementary departure cue. We show that individual-level departure decisions informed by local temperatures can preadapt a population to adjust its population-level phenology in response to annual variability in spring temperatures without requiring genetic change in reaction thresholds.
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15
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Kittelberger KD, Buechley ER, Ford M, Ağırkaya K, Hakkı Şekercioğlu Ç. First satellite-tracked migration of an Eurasian Thick-knee (Burhinus oedicnemus) in the Middle East ends in human-caused mortality. ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2021.1918183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Evan R. Buechley
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Washington D.C., USA
- HawkWatch International, Salt Lake City, USA
| | | | | | - Çağan Hakkı Şekercioğlu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
- Koç University, Faculty of Sciences, Rumelifeneri, Istanbul, Sarıyer, Turkey
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16
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Vickers SH, Franco AMA, Gilroy JJ. Sensitivity of migratory connectivity estimates to spatial sampling design. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:16. [PMID: 33810815 PMCID: PMC8019184 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00254-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of statistical methods to quantify the strength of migratory connectivity is commonplace. However, little attention has been given to their sensitivity to spatial sampling designs and scales of inference. METHODS We examine sources of bias and imprecision in the most widely used methodology, Mantel correlations, under a range of plausible sampling regimes using simulated migratory populations. RESULTS As Mantel correlations depend fundamentally on the spatial scale and configuration of sampling, unbiased inferences about population-scale connectivity can only be made under certain sampling regimes. Within a contiguous population, samples drawn from smaller spatial subsets of the range generate lower connectivity metrics than samples drawn from the range as a whole, even when the underlying migratory ecology of the population is constant across the population. Random sampling of individuals from contiguous subsets of species ranges can therefore underestimate population-scale connectivity. Where multiple discrete sampling sites are used, by contrast, overestimation of connectivity can arise due to samples being biased towards larger between-individual pairwise distances in the seasonal range where sampling occurs (typically breeding). Severity of all biases was greater for populations with lower levels of true connectivity. When plausible sampling regimes were applied to realistic simulated populations, accuracy of connectivity measures was maximised by increasing the number of discrete sampling sites and ensuring an even spread of sites across the full range. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest strong potential for bias and imprecision when making quantitative inferences about migratory connectivity using Mantel statistics. Researchers wishing to apply these methods should limit inference to the spatial extent of their sampling, maximise their number of sampling sites, and avoid drawing strong conclusions based on small sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen H Vickers
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
| | - Aldina M A Franco
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - James J Gilroy
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
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17
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Buechley ER, Oppel S, Efrat R, Phipps WL, Carbonell Alanís I, Álvarez E, Andreotti A, Arkumarev V, Berger-Tal O, Bermejo Bermejo A, Bounas A, Ceccolini G, Cenerini A, Dobrev V, Duriez O, García J, García-Ripollés C, Galán M, Gil A, Giraud L, Hatzofe O, Iglesias-Lebrija JJ, Karyakin I, Kobierzycki E, Kret E, Loercher F, López-López P, Miller Y, Mueller T, Nikolov SC, de la Puente J, Sapir N, Saravia V, Şekercioğlu ÇH, Sillett TS, Tavares J, Urios V, Marra PP. Differential survival throughout the full annual cycle of a migratory bird presents a life-history trade-off. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1228-1238. [PMID: 33786863 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Long-distance migrations are among the most physically demanding feats animals perform. Understanding the potential costs and benefits of such behaviour is a fundamental question in ecology and evolution. A hypothetical cost of migration should be outweighed by higher productivity and/or higher annual survival, but few studies on migratory species have been able to directly quantify patterns of survival throughout the full annual cycle and across the majority of a species' range. Here, we use telemetry data from 220 migratory Egyptian vultures Neophron percnopterus, tracked for 3,186 bird months and across approximately 70% of the species' global distribution, to test for differences in survival throughout the annual cycle. We estimated monthly survival probability relative to migration and latitude using a multi-event capture-recapture model in a Bayesian framework that accounted for age, origin, subpopulation and the uncertainty of classifying fates from tracking data. We found lower survival during migration compared to stationary periods (β = -0.816; 95% credible interval: -1.290 to -0.318) and higher survival on non-breeding grounds at southern latitudes (<25°N; β = 0.664; 0.076-1.319) compared to on breeding grounds. Survival was also higher for individuals originating from Western Europe (β = 0.664; 0.110-1.330) as compared to further east in Europe and Asia, and improved with age (β = 0.030; 0.020-0.042). Anthropogenic mortalities accounted for half of the mortalities with a known cause and occurred mainly in northern latitudes. Many juveniles drowned in the Mediterranean Sea on their first autumn migration while there were few confirmed mortalities in the Sahara Desert, indicating that migration barriers are likely species-specific. Our study advances the understanding of important fitness trade-offs associated with long-distance migration. We conclude that there is lower survival associated with migration, but that this may be offset by higher non-breeding survival at lower latitudes. We found more human-caused mortality farther north, and suggest that increasing anthropogenic mortality could disrupt the delicate migration trade-off balance. Research to investigate further potential benefits of migration (e.g. differential productivity across latitudes) could clarify how migration evolved and how migrants may persist in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan R Buechley
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Washington, DC, USA.,HawkWatch International, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Steffen Oppel
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ron Efrat
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | | | | | - Ernesto Álvarez
- GREFA (Grupo para la Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat) Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alessandro Andreotti
- Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Ozzano Emilia, Italy
| | - Volen Arkumarev
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | | | - Anastasios Bounas
- Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece - Themistokleous 80, Athens, Greece
| | - Guido Ceccolini
- Association CERM Centro Rapaci Minacciati, Rocchette di Fazio (GR), Italy
| | - Anna Cenerini
- Association CERM Centro Rapaci Minacciati, Rocchette di Fazio (GR), Italy
| | - Vladimir Dobrev
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Olivier Duriez
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valery Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Javier García
- Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, University of León, León, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Galán
- GREFA (Grupo para la Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat) Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Gil
- GREFA (Grupo para la Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat) Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lea Giraud
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, Site Grands Causses, Peyreleau, France
| | - Ohad Hatzofe
- Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | | | - Erik Kobierzycki
- Nature en Occitanie, Coordination Technique Plan National d' Actions Vautour Percnoptère, Bruges, France
| | | | | | - Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Spain
| | - Ygal Miller
- Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Biological Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stoyan C Nikolov
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | - Nir Sapir
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Victoria Saravia
- Hellenic Ornithological Society/BirdLife Greece - Themistokleous 80, Athens, Greece
| | - Çağan H Şekercioğlu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,College of Sciences, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.,KuzeyDoğa Derneği, Kars, Turkey
| | | | - José Tavares
- Vulture Conservation Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vicente Urios
- Vertebrate Zoology Research Group, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Peter P Marra
- Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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18
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Phenotypic and environmental correlates of natal dispersal in a long-lived territorial vulture. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5424. [PMID: 33686130 PMCID: PMC7970891 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84811-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Natal dispersal, the movement between the birth and the first breeding site, has been rarely studied in long-lived territorial birds with a long-lasting pre-breeding stage. Here we benefited from the long-term monitoring programs of six populations of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) from Spain and France to study how the rearing environment determines dispersal. For 124 vultures, we recorded a median dispersal distance of 48 km (range 0-656 km). Linear models were used to assess the effect of population and individual traits on dispersal distance at two spatial scales. Dispersal distances were inversely related to vulture density in the natal population, suggesting that birds perceive the abundance of conspecifics as a signal of habitat quality. This was particularly true for declining populations, so increasing levels of opportunistic philopatry seemed to arise in high density contexts as a consequence of vacancies created by human-induced adult mortality. Females dispersed further than males, but males were more sensitive to the social environment, indicating different dispersal tactics. Both sexes were affected by different individual attributes simultaneously and interactively with this social context. These results highlight that complex phenotype-by-environment interactions should be considered for advancing our understanding of dispersal dynamics in long-lived organisms.
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19
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Monti F, Robert A, Dominici JM, Sforzi A, Bagur RT, Navarro AM, Guillou G, Duriez O, Bentaleb I. Using GPS tracking and stable multi-isotopes for estimating habitat use and winter range in Palearctic ospreys. Oecologia 2021; 195:655-666. [PMID: 33475782 PMCID: PMC7940332 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04855-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
We used both satellite tracking and carbon, nitrogen and sulphur stable isotopic analysis (SIA) to infer wintering ecology and habitat use of the Corsican osprey Pandion haliaetus population. A control sample of feathers from 75 individuals was collected within the osprey’s northern hemisphere breeding range, to assess the SIA variability across habitat types. An experimental set of SIA on feathers of 18 Corsican adults was examined to infer wintering ground locations and habitat types used during the non-breeding period. We calibrated the SIA using GPS/GSM tracks of 12 Mediterranean adults’ movements as wintering site references. We found 50% of individuals were resident and the other half migrated. Ospreys spent the winter at temperate latitudes and showed a high plasticity in habitat selection spread over the Mediterranean basin (marine bays, coastal lagoons/marshland, inland freshwater sites). Complementary to GPS tracking, SIA is, at a broad geographical scale, a reliable method to determine whether ospreys overwinter in a habitat different from that of their breeding area. This study proved that the integration of SIA and GPS/GSM tracking techniques was effective at overcoming the intrinsic limits of each method and achieving greater information for basic ecological studies of migratory birds in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio Monti
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy.
| | - Aloїs Robert
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Marie Dominici
- Réserve Naturelle Scandola, Parc Naturel Régional de Corse, 20245, Galeria, France
| | - Andrea Sforzi
- Maremma Natural History Museum, Strada Corsini 5, 58100, Grosseto, Italy
| | - Rafel Triay Bagur
- IME (Institut Menorquí d'Estudis), Camí des Castell 28, 07702, Maó, Spain
| | - Antoni Muñoz Navarro
- Grup Balear d'Ornitologia I Defensa de La Naturalesa (GOB), Manuel Sanchis Guarner 10, 07004, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Gaël Guillou
- Littoral, ENvironnement et SociétéS (LIENSS, UMR 7266), Université de La Rochelle, Bâtiment Marie Curie Avenue Michel Crépeau, 17042, La Rochelle Cedex 1, France
| | - Olivier Duriez
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Ilham Bentaleb
- Université Montpellier - UMR 5554, ISEM C/C 065 Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier cedex 05, France
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20
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Morant J, Abad-Gómez JM, Álvarez T, Sánchez Á, Zuberogoitia I, López-López P. Winter movement patterns of a globally endangered avian scavenger in south-western Europe. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17690. [PMID: 33077857 PMCID: PMC7572415 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74333-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Partial migration, whereby some individuals migrate and some do not, is relatively common and widespread among animals. Switching between migration tactics (from migratory to resident or vice versa) occurs at individual and population levels. Here, we describe for the first time the movement ecology of the largest wintering population of Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) in south-west Europe. We combined field surveys and GPS tracking data from December to February during four wintering seasons (2014–2018). The wintering population consisted on average of 85 individuals (range 58–121; 76% adults and 24% subadults). Individuals were counted at five different roosting sites located near farms, unauthorized carcass deposition sites and authorized carcass deposition sites. Our results show that vultures tend to remain close to the roosting site. Moreover, we observed that females exhibited smaller home range sizes than males, which suggests a possible differential use of food sources. Overall, birds relied more on farms than other available food resources, particularly subadult individuals which exploited more intensively these sites. Our results showed that Egyptian Vultures congregate in significant numbers at specific sites throughout the winter period in south-west Spain and that these roosting and feeding sites should be given some level of legal protection and regular monitoring. Furthermore, predictable food sources might be driving the apparent increase in the non-migratory population of Egyptian Vultures, as observed in other avian species which are also changing their migratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Morant
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - José María Abad-Gómez
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.,Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza y Áreas Protegidas, Junta de Extremadura, Av/ luis Ramallo s/n, 06800, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Toribio Álvarez
- Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza y Áreas Protegidas, Junta de Extremadura, Av/ luis Ramallo s/n, 06800, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Ángel Sánchez
- Servicio de Conservación de la Naturaleza y Áreas Protegidas, Junta de Extremadura, Av/ luis Ramallo s/n, 06800, Mérida, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Iñigo Zuberogoitia
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.,Estudios Medioambientales Icarus S.L, C/San Vicente 8, 6 ª Planta, Dpto 8, Edificio Albia I, 48001, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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21
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Blanco G, López-Hernández I, Morinha F, López-Cerero L. Intensive farming as a source of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents in sedentary and migratory vultures: Implications for local and transboundary spread. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 739:140356. [PMID: 32758969 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The role of wild birds in the carriage and transmission of human and food animal bacteria with resistant genotypes has repeatedly been highlighted. However, few studies have focussed on the specific exposure sources and places of acquisition and selection for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in vultures relying on livestock carcasses across large areas and different continents. The occurrence of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents was assessed in the faecal microbiota of sedentary Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) and trans-Saharan migratory Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) in central Spain. High rates (generally >50%) of resistant Escherichia coli and other enterobacteria to amoxicillin, cotrimoxazole and tetracycline were found. About 25-30% of samples were colonised by extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producing bacteria, while 5-17% were positive for plasmid mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) phenotypes, depending on vulture species and age. In total, nine ESBL types were recorded (7 in griffon vultures and 5 in Egyptian vultures), with CTX-M-1 the most prevalent in both species. The most prevalent PMQR was mediated by qnrS genes. We found no clear differences in the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in adult vultures of each species, or between nestling and adult Egyptian vultures. This supports the hypothesis that antimicrobial resistance is acquired in the European breeding areas of both species. Bacterial resistance can directly be driven by the regular ingestion of multiple active antimicrobials found in medicated livestock carcasses from factory farms, which should be not neglected as a contributor to the emergence of novel resistance clones. The One Health framework should consider the potential transboundary carriage and spread of epidemic resistance from high-income European to low-income African countries via migratory birds.
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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.
| | - Inmaculada López-Hernández
- Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Microbiología y Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Francisco Morinha
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorena López-Cerero
- Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Microbiología y Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
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22
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Efrat R, Hatzofe O, Berger-Tal O. Translating large-scale prioritization models for vultures to local-scale decision-making: response to Santangeli et al. 2019. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:1305-1307. [PMID: 32531847 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ron Efrat
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel
| | - Ohad Hatzofe
- Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Am Ve'Olamo 3, Jerusalem, 95463, Israel
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel
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23
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Barlow SE, O'Neill MA. Technological advances in field studies of pollinator ecology and the future of e-ecology. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 38:15-25. [PMID: 32086017 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Our review looks at recent advances in technologies applied to studying pollinators in the field. These include RFID, radar and lidar for detecting and tracking pollinators; wireless sensor networks (e.g. 'smart' hives); automated visual and audio monitoring systems including vision motion software for monitoring fine-scale pollinator behaviours over extended periods; and automated species identification systems based on machine learning that can vastly reduce the bottleneck in (big) data analysis. An improved e-ecology platform that leverages these tools is needed for ecologists to acquire and understand large spatiotemporal datasets, and thus inform knowledge gaps in environmental policy-making. Developing the next generation of e-ecology tools will require synergistic partnerships between academia and industry and significant investment in a cross-disciplinary scientific consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Barlow
- Red Butte Garden, Conservation Dept., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
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Nourani E, Vansteelant WMG, Byholm P, Safi K. Dynamics of the energy seascape can explain intra-specific variations in sea-crossing behaviour of soaring birds. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20190797. [PMID: 31964257 PMCID: PMC7013482 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermal soaring birds extract energy from the atmosphere to achieve energetically low-cost movement. When encountering regions that are energetically costly to fly over, such as open seas, they should attempt to adjust the spatio-temporal pattern of their passage to maximize energy extraction from the atmosphere over these ecological barriers. We applied the concept of energy landscapes to investigate the spatio-temporal dynamics of energy availability over the open sea for soaring flight. We specifically investigated how the 'energy seascape' may shape age-specific sea-crossing behaviour of European honey buzzards, Pernis apivorus, over the Mediterranean Sea in autumn. We found uplift potential over the sea to be the main determinant of sea-crossing distance, rather than wind conditions. Considering this variable as a proxy for available energy over the sea, we constructed the energy seascape for the autumn migration season using 40 years of temperature data. Our results indicate that early-migrating adult buzzards are likely to encounter adverse energy subsidence over the Mediterranean, whereas late-migrating juveniles face less adverse flight conditions, and even conditions conducive to soaring flight. Our study provides evidence that the dynamics of the energy landscape can explain intra-specific variation in migratory behaviour also at sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Nourani
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - W. M. G. Vansteelant
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - P. Byholm
- Novia University of Applied Sciences, Ekenäs, Finland
| | - K. Safi
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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