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Tavera EA, Lank DB, Douglas DC, Sandercock BK, Lanctot RB, Schmidt NM, Reneerkens J, Ward DH, Bêty J, Kwon E, Lecomte N, Gratto-Trevor C, Smith PA, English WB, Saalfeld ST, Brown SC, Gates HR, Nol E, Liebezeit JR, McGuire RL, McKinnon L, Kendall S, Robards M, Boldenow M, Payer DC, Rausch J, Solovyeva DV, Stalwick JA, Gurney KEB. Why do avian responses to change in Arctic green-up vary? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17335. [PMID: 38771086 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17335] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Global climate change has altered the timing of seasonal events (i.e., phenology) for a diverse range of biota. Within and among species, however, the degree to which alterations in phenology match climate variability differ substantially. To better understand factors driving these differences, we evaluated variation in timing of nesting of eight Arctic-breeding shorebird species at 18 sites over a 23-year period. We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index as a proxy to determine the start of spring (SOS) growing season and quantified relationships between SOS and nest initiation dates as a measure of phenological responsiveness. Among species, we tested four life history traits (migration distance, seasonal timing of breeding, female body mass, expected female reproductive effort) as species-level predictors of responsiveness. For one species (Semipalmated Sandpiper), we also evaluated whether responsiveness varied across sites. Although no species in our study completely tracked annual variation in SOS, phenological responses were strongest for Western Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, and Red Phalaropes. Migration distance was the strongest additional predictor of responsiveness, with longer-distance migrant species generally tracking variation in SOS more closely than species that migrate shorter distances. Semipalmated Sandpipers are a widely distributed species, but adjustments in timing of nesting relative to variability in SOS did not vary across sites, suggesting that different breeding populations of this species were equally responsive to climate cues despite differing migration strategies. Our results unexpectedly show that long-distance migrants are more sensitive to local environmental conditions, which may help them to adapt to ongoing changes in climate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David B Lank
- Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David C Douglas
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - David H Ward
- Alaska Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Joël Bêty
- Université du Québec à Rimouski and Centre d'études nordiques, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eunbi Kwon
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Seewiesen, Germany
| | | | - Cheri Gratto-Trevor
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Paul A Smith
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - H River Gates
- Manomet, Shorebird Recovery Program, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA
- Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Erica Nol
- Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Steve Kendall
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jennie Rausch
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
| | - Diana V Solovyeva
- Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan, Russia
| | - Jordyn A Stalwick
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Kirsty E B Gurney
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Rolando A, Basso C, Brunelli N, Bocca M, Laini A. The foraging ecology of yellow-billed and red- billed choughs changed between two climatically different years. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20908. [PMID: 38016972 PMCID: PMC10684611 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46336-0] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is affecting the alpine ecosystem at an unprecedented rate, with marked changes in spring phenology and the elevation distribution of birds. Changes in the European Alps are happening rapidly, and it is possible behaviours stand to change from one year to the next. The year 2022 was characterised by climatic extremes: Italy experienced its hottest year ever, and it was the driest since 1800. Here, we assessed whether the foraging ecology of two coexisting upland bird species, the yellow-billed and the red-billed chough, changed from 2021 to 2022. We assessed foraging stay times, flock size, propensity to mixed flocking, foraging home ranges and altitudinal distribution. Stay times of both species when foraging in monospecific flocks significantly shortened in 2022, especially in the case of the red-billed chough. The two corvids are known to influence each other when foraging together. In 2021, as expected, the stay times of the red-billed chough decreased when in the presence of the congener, but this did not occur in 2022. Instead, the yellow-billed chough increased its altitudinal foraging distribution in 2022. The results are in line with the hypothesis that large climate variations may disrupt the foraging ecology of mountain birds. However, as it is not possible to draw solid conclusions from just two years of observations, further field research will have to be planned in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Rolando
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Turin University, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Cecilia Basso
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Turin University, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Nicolò Brunelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Turin University, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Massimo Bocca
- Société de la Flore Valdôtaine, via J. B. de Tillier 3, 11100, Aosta, Italy
| | - Alex Laini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Turin University, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy.
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Müller TM, Meier CM, Knaus F, Korner P, Helm B, Amrhein V, Rime Y. Finding food in a changing world: Small-scale foraging habitat preferences of an insectivorous passerine in the Alps. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10084. [PMID: 37214613 PMCID: PMC10191804 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms living in high-elevation habitats are usually habitat specialists who occupy a narrow ecological niche. To envision the response of alpine species to a changing environment, it is fundamental to understand their habitat preferences on multiple spatial and temporal scales. However, information on small-scale habitat use is still widely lacking. We investigated the foraging habitat preferences of the migratory northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe during the entire presence at a breeding site in the central Alps. We repeatedly observed 121 adult and juvenile individuals. We applied Bayesian logistic regression models to investigate which habitat characteristics influenced foraging habitat selection on a fine spatial scale, and how habitat use varied temporally. Throughout their presence on the breeding grounds, northern wheatears showed a consistent preference for a mosaic of stones and bare ground patches with slow-growing, short vegetation. The proximity of marmot burrows was preferred, whereas dense and low woody vegetation was avoided. After arrival at the breeding site, short vegetation, preferably close to the snow, was favored. The preference for open habitat patches that provide access to prey underlines the critical role of small-scale habitat heterogeneity for northern wheatears. The strong and consistent preference for a habitat that is under pressure from land-use and climate change suggests that this alpine bird species may be sensitive to habitat loss, leading to a potential range contraction. We highlight the need to conserve habitat diversity on a small spatial scale to ensure the long-term availability of suitable habitat for northern wheatears in the Alps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Müller
- Swiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems SciencesSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich)ZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Florian Knaus
- Department of Environmental Systems SciencesSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich)ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Pius Korner
- Swiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
| | - Barbara Helm
- Swiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
| | - Valentin Amrhein
- Swiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
- Department of Environmental Sciences, ZoologyUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Yann Rime
- Swiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
- Department of Environmental Sciences, ZoologyUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
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Rime Y, Nussbaumer R, Briedis M, Sander MM, Chamberlain D, Amrhein V, Helm B, Liechti F, Meier CM. Multi-sensor geolocators unveil global and local movements in an Alpine-breeding long-distance migrant. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:19. [PMID: 37020307 PMCID: PMC10074645 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00381-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To understand the ecology of long-distance migrant bird species, it is necessary to study their full annual cycle, including migratory routes and stopovers. This is especially important for species in high-elevation habitats that are particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Here, we investigated both local and global movements during all parts of the annual cycle in a small trans-Saharan migratory bird breeding at high elevation. METHODS Recently, multi-sensor geolocators have opened new research opportunities in small-sized migratory organisms. We tagged Northern Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe from the central-European Alpine population with loggers recording atmospheric pressure and light intensity. We modelled migration routes and identified stopover and non-breeding sites by correlating the atmospheric pressure measured on the birds with global atmospheric pressure data. Furthermore, we compared barrier-crossing flights with other migratory flights and studied the movement behaviour throughout the annual cycle. RESULTS All eight tracked individuals crossed the Mediterranean Sea, using islands for short stops, and made longer stopovers in the Atlas highlands. Single non-breeding sites were used during the entire boreal winter and were all located in the same region of the Sahel. Spring migration was recorded for four individuals with similar or slightly different routes compared to autumn. Migratory flights were typically nocturnal and characterized by fluctuating altitudes, frequently reaching 2000 to 4000 m a.s.l, with a maximum of up to 5150 m. Barrier-crossing flights, i.e., over the sea and the Sahara, were longer, higher, and faster compared to flights above favourable stopover habitat. In addition, we detected two types of altitudinal movements at the breeding site. Unexpected regular diel uphill movements were undertaken from the breeding territories towards nearby roosting sites at cliffs, while regional scale movements took place in response to local meteorological conditions during the pre-breeding period. CONCLUSION Our data inform on both local and global scale movements, providing new insights into migratory behaviour and local movements in small songbirds. This calls for a wider use of multi-sensor loggers in songbird migration research, especially for investigating both local and global movements in the same individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Rime
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland.
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4051, Switzerland.
| | | | - Martins Briedis
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
| | - Martha Maria Sander
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, IT-10123, Italy
| | - Dan Chamberlain
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, IT-10123, Italy
| | - Valentin Amrhein
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4051, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Helm
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland
| | - Felix Liechti
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland
| | - Christoph M Meier
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland
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