Autumn Migration Strategies and Trapping Numbers in the Common Ringed Plover<i>Charadrius hiaticula</i>in Southern Sweden

Hedh, Linus; Hedenström, Anders

doi:10.5253/arde.v104i3.a3

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Indeed, field measurements of fuel deposition rates ( k ) in the ringed plover suggest relatively low population averages. In autumn at Ottenby (the breeding and first stopover site), the daily fuel accumulation rate ( k ) was estimated to 1.7% of lean body mass [ 43 ]. At Morecambe Bay, East England, ( k ) was estimated to 1.5% in spring (May) [ 10 , 44 ], a value that most likely concerns birds preparing to migrate towards Greenland and Arctic Canada.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of migratory distance, habitat distribution and season on the migratory process in a short distance migratory shorebird population

Hedh

Hedenström

2023

Mov Ecol

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Background The migratory process in birds consists of alternating periods of flight and fueling. Individuals of some populations make few flights and long stopovers, while others make multiple flights between short stopovers. Shorebirds are known for executing marathon flights (jumps), but most populations studied are long distance migrants, often crossing major barriers and thus forced to make long-haul flights. The sub-division of migration in short/medium distance migratory populations, where the total migration distance is shorter than documented non-stop flight capacity and where routes offer more homogenous stopover landscape, is little explored. Methods Here we combine data based on conventional light level geolocators and miniaturized multi sensor loggers, comprising acceleration and light sensors, to characterize the migratory routes and migration process for a short/medium distance (~ 1300 to 3000 km) migratory population of common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) breeding in southern Sweden. We were specifically interested in the variation in number and duration (total and individual) of flights/stopovers between seasons and in relation to migration distance. Results Most stopovers were located along the European Atlantic coast. On average 4.5 flights were made during autumn migration irrespective of migration distance, but in spring the number of flights increased with distance. The equal number of flights in autumn was explained by that most individuals migrating farther performed one longer flight (all but one lasting > 20 h), likely including crossing of the Bay of Biscay. Median duration of single flights was 8.7 h in autumn and 5.5 h in spring, and median stopover duration was ~ 1 day in both seasons. There was a positive relationship between total flight duration and migration distance, but total flight duration was 36% lower in spring compared to autumn. Conclusions Our results suggest that when suitable stopovers are abundant common ringed plovers prefer making shorter flights even if longer flights are within the capacity of the species. This behaviour is predicted under both time and energy minimizing strategies, although the variable flight distances suggest a policy of time selected migration. Even if populations using several stopovers seem to be more resilient for environmental change along the route, these results are informative for conservation efforts and for predicting responses to future environmental change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of migratory distance, habitat distribution and season on the migratory process in a short distance migratory shorebird population

Hedh

Hedenström

2023

Mov Ecol

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“…passage at Ottenby, including Dunlin Calidris alpina (Mascher & Marcström 1976, Holmgren et al 1993, Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus (Waldenström & Lindström 2001), Temminck's stint Calidris temminckii (Hedenström 2004), Red Knot C. canutus (Helseth et al 2005a), Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres (Helseth et al 2005b), Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola (Iwamojo et al 2013, Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius (Hedenström et al 2013) and Ringed Plover C. hiaticula (Hedh & Hedenström 2016). Such studies can provide data not only on population trends and phenology for species that are usually not observed in large numbers (such as Little Stint) but can also be used for studies of stopover ecology.…”

Section: Data On Ringed Birdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term trends in abundance, phenology, and morphometrics of Little Stint Calidris minuta during autumn migration in southern Sweden, 1946–2020

2023

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The Little Stint Calidris minuta is an Arctic wader species that migrates through the Baltic Sea region towards wintering areas in North and West Africa and the Mediterranean region. We use a 75-year trapping series, comprising 4,791 Little Stints on autumn migration, from Ottenby Bird Observatory in Sweden to illustrate long-term trends in abundance, phenology, and morphometrics. Numbers of trapped juveniles dropped from median 31 (mean 74) in 1946–1999 to median 1.5 (mean 3.5) birds in 2000–2020, while the number of adults was generally low and without trends. Rolling window analyses showed that the drop in juveniles started around 1984, and from 1993 onward the median never exceeded seven juveniles/year (25 %-quantile: 0–1; 75 %-quantile: 4–55). Moreover, adult birds advanced their passage on average 0.48 days per year, passing 26 days earlier in 2020 than in 1946. Earlier migration of adults and decreased numbers of juveniles suggest low reproductive output in recent decades. Morphometric data of recaptured birds show that Little Stints on stopover at Ottenby gain fuel at a speed close to the theoretical maximum, strongly indicating that the conditions at the trapping site remain favourable for foraging waders.

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“…The fuel load, expressed as a fraction of the lean bod mass (LBM), was calculated using the flight range equation where Y is the flight distance, f is the fuel load and the coefficient c is a composite factor including morphology, energy content of the fuel and energy conversion efficiency (Alerstam and Lindström 1990;Alerstam and Hedenström 1998). We assumed c = 15, 000, which is a reasonable value for a shorebird (Gudmundsson et al 1991) and used a FDR of 1.7% of LBM as measured in ringed plovers migrating during autumn in SE Sweden (Hedh and Hedenström 2016). Estimating this period based on a single FDR can be problematic since the FDR can vary between seasons and regions.…”

Section: Migration Distance Duration and Speedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population specific annual cycles and migration strategies in a leap-frog migrant

Hedh

Dänhardt

Hedenström

2021

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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A common migratory pattern in birds is that northerly breeding populations migrate to more southerly non-breeding sites compared to southerly breeding populations (leap-frog migration). Not only do populations experience differences in migration distances, but also different environmental conditions, which may vary spatiotemporally within their annual cycles, creating distinctive selective pressures and migratory strategies. Information about such adaptations is important to understand migratory drivers and evolution of migration patterns. We use light-level geolocators and citizen science data on regional spring arrivals to compare two populations of common ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula breeding at different latitudes. We (1) describe and characterize the annual cycles and (2) test predictions regarding speed and timing of migration. The northern breeding population (NBP) wintered in Africa and the southern (SBP) mainly in Europe. The annual cycles were shifted temporally so that the NBP was always later in all stages. The SBP spent more than twice as long time in the breeding area, but there was no difference in winter. The NBP spent more time on migration in general. Spring migration speed was lower in the SBP compared to autumn speed of both populations, and there was no difference in autumn and spring speed in the NBP. We also found a larger variation in spring arrival times across years in the SBP. This suggests that a complex interaction of population specific timing and variation of breeding onset, length of breeding season, and proximity to the breeding area shape the annual cycle and migratory strategies. Significance statement Migration distance, climate, and the resulting composition of the annual cycle are expected to influence migration strategies and timing in birds. Testing theories regarding migration behaviours are challenging, and intraspecific comparisons over the full annual cycle are still rare. Here we compare the spatiotemporal distributions of two latitudinally separated populations of common ringed plovers using light-level geolocators. We found that there was a larger long-term variation in first arrival dates and that migration speed was slower only in spring in a temperate, short-distance migratory population, compared to an Arctic, long-distance migratory population. This suggests that a complex interaction of population specific timing and variation of breeding onset, length of breeding season and proximity to the breeding area shape the annual cycle and migratory behaviours.

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Autumn Migration Strategies and Trapping Numbers in the Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulain Southern Sweden

Cited by 6 publications

References 25 publications

Consequences of migratory distance, habitat distribution and season on the migratory process in a short distance migratory shorebird population

Consequences of migratory distance, habitat distribution and season on the migratory process in a short distance migratory shorebird population

Long-term trends in abundance, phenology, and morphometrics of Little Stint Calidris minuta during autumn migration in southern Sweden, 1946–2020

Population specific annual cycles and migration strategies in a leap-frog migrant

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