Cold spell en route delays spring arrival and decreases apparent survival in a long-distance migratory songbird

Untangling the spatial and temporal processes that influence population dynamics of migratory species is challenging, because changes in abundance are shaped by variation in vital rates across heterogeneous habitats and throughout the annual cycle. We developed a full-annual-cycle, integrated, population model and used demographic data collected between 2011 and 2014 in southern Indiana and Belize to estimate stage-specific vital rates of a declining migratory songbird, the Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). Our primary objective was to understand how spatial and temporal variation in demography contributes to local and regional population growth. Our full-annual-cycle model allowed us to estimate (1) age-specific, seasonal survival probabilities, including latent survival during both spring and autumn migration, and (2) how the relative contribution of vital rates to population growth differed among habitats. Wood Thrushes in our study populations experienced the lowest apparent survival rates during migration and apparent survival was lower during spring migration than during fall migration. Both mortality and high dispersal likely contributed to low apparent survival during spring migration. Population growth in high-quality habitat was most sensitive to variation in fecundity and apparent survival of juveniles during spring migration, whereas population growth in low-quality sites was most sensitive to adult apparent breeding-season survival. These results elucidate how full-annual-cycle vital rates, particularly apparent survival during migration, interact with spatial variation in habitat quality to influence population dynamics in migratory species.

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“…, Briedis et al. ). Additionally, because reproductive success is strongly tied to early arrival on the breeding grounds (Lozano et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Spatial and temporal drivers of avian population dynamics across the annual cycle

Rushing

Hostetler

Sillett

et al. 2017

Ecology

128

113

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“…To avoid adverse conditions en route in early spring, long‐distance migrants travelling along the Eastern flyway should be adapted to cross the Sahara later compared with migrants on the Western flyway. Selection pressure against premature arrival is likely to be high, because individuals arriving early have been shown to suffer increased mortality (Lerche‐Jørgensen et al, ), particularly in years with delayed spring green‐up (Briedis et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Broad‐scale patterns of the Afro‐Palaearctic landbird migration

Briedis

Bauer

Adamík

et al. 2020

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Aim Knowledge of broad‐scale biogeographical patterns of animal migration is important for understanding ecological drivers of migratory behaviours. Here, we present a flyway‐scale assessment of the spatial structure and seasonal dynamics of the Afro‐Palaearctic bird migration system and explore how phenology of the environment guides long‐distance migration. Location Europe and Africa. Time period 2009–2017. Major taxa studied Birds. Methods We compiled an individual‐based dataset comprising 23 passerine and near‐passerine species of 55 European breeding populations, in which a total of 564 individuals were tracked during migration between Europe and sub‐Saharan Africa. In addition, we used remotely sensed primary productivity data (the normalized difference vegetation index) to estimate the timing of vegetation green‐up in spring and senescence in autumn across Europe. First, we described how individual breeding and non‐breeding sites and the migratory flyways link geographically. Second, we examined how the timing of migration along the two major Afro‐Palaearctic flyways is tuned with vegetation phenology at the breeding sites. Results We found the longitudes of individual breeding and non‐breeding sites to be related in a strongly positive manner, whereas the latitudes of breeding and non‐breeding sites were related negatively. In autumn, migration commenced ahead of vegetation senescence, and the timing of migration was 5–7 days earlier along the Western flyway compared with the Eastern flyway. In spring, the time of arrival at breeding sites was c. 1.5 days later for each degree northwards and 6–7 days later along the Eastern compared with the Western flyway, reflecting the later spring green‐up at higher latitudes and more eastern longitudes. Main conclusions Migration of the Afro‐Palaearctic landbirds follows a longitudinally parallel leapfrog migration pattern, whereby migrants track vegetation green‐up in spring but depart before vegetation senescence in autumn. The degree of continentality along migration routes and at the breeding sites of the birds influences the timing of migration on a broad scale.

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“…In the closely related pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca , spring arrival largely depends on the departure time from Africa, rather than migration speed (Ouwehand & Both, ). On the contrary, semicollared flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata spring arrival at breeding sites in Bulgaria differed significantly between years and was related to the environmental conditions en route and spring green‐up at the breeding site (Briedis, Hahn, & Adamík, ; Briedis, Träff et al., ). Thus, migration speed through the last leg of migration reflected the arrival time more closely than departure time in semicollared flycatchers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evidence suggests that in long‐distance migrants the onset of migration is less flexible (Doren, Liedvogel, & Helm, ; Gwinner, ), while the migratory journey itself has a great potential for flexible adjustments (Briedis et al., ; Marra, Francis, Mulvihill, & Moore, ; Tøttrup et al., ; van Wijk et al., ). Within the Afro‐Palearctic bird migration system, cues about the environmental conditions at the destination can be obtained only after crossing the Sahara Desert (and possibly Mediterranean Sea).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finish with a sprint: Evidence for time‐selected last leg of migration in a long‐distance migratory songbird

Briedis

Hahn

Krist

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Under time‐selected migration, birds should choose a strategy for outcompeting rivals over securing access to prime resources at the final destination. Thus, migration can be viewed as a race among individuals where winners are arriving first when conditions are suitable. The sprint migration hypothesis predicts that individuals shift from maximum sustained speed to a final burst of sprint to shorten the transition from migration to breeding (Alerstam, 2006). In this study, we test the hypothesis of a final sprint migration in a long‐distance Afro‐Palearctic migrant, the collared flycatcher Ficedula albicollis, during autumn and spring, and compare migration strategies between the seasons. In both seasons, collared flycatchers evidently exhibited sprint migration by increasing their overall speed over the last leg of migration after the Sahara crossing. This phenomenon was more pronounced in spring, contributing to overall faster spring migration and possibly highlighting higher importance for early arrival at the breeding grounds. In both seasons and particularly in spring, late departing individuals flew at a faster rate, partially being able to catch up with their early departing conspecifics. Differential fueling strategies may play an important role in determining migration speed, especially during the early stages of the migration, and might explain the observed differences in migration speeds between late and early departing individuals. Our findings suggest competition for early arrival at the breeding and at the nonbreeding destinations alike. Sprint migration might be an appropriate strategy to gain advantage over conspecifics and settle in prime territories as well as to cope with the increasingly earlier springs at high latitudes.

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Cold spell en route delays spring arrival and decreases apparent survival in a long-distance migratory songbird

Cited by 49 publications

References 37 publications

Spatial and temporal drivers of avian population dynamics across the annual cycle

Spatial and temporal drivers of avian population dynamics across the annual cycle

Broad‐scale patterns of the Afro‐Palaearctic landbird migration

Finish with a sprint: Evidence for time‐selected last leg of migration in a long‐distance migratory songbird

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