High individual repeatability of the migratory behaviour of a long-distance migratory seabird

Abstract

Background Understanding the evolution of migration requires knowledge of the patterns, sources, and consequences of variation in migratory behaviour, a need exacerbated by the fact that many migratory species show rapid population declines and require knowledge-based conservation measures. We therefore need detailed knowledge on the spatial and temporal distribution of individuals across their annual cycle, and quantify how the spatial and temporal components of migratory behaviour vary within and among individuals. Methods We tracked 138 migratory journeys undertaken by 64 adult common terns (Sterna hirundo) from a breeding colony in northwest Germany to identify the annual spatiotemporal distribution of these birds and to evaluate the individual repeatability of eleven traits describing their migratory behaviour. Results Birds left the breeding colony early September, then moved south along the East Atlantic Flyway. Wintering areas were reached mid-September and located at the west and south coasts of West Africa as well as the coasts of Namibia and South Africa. Birds left their wintering areas late March and reached the breeding colony mid-April. The timing, total duration and total distance of migration, as well as the location of individual wintering areas, were moderately to highly repeatable within individuals (repeatability indexes: 0.36–0.75, 0.65–0.66, 0.93–0.94, and 0.98–1.00, respectively), and repeatability estimates were not strongly affected by population-level inter-annual variation in migratory behaviour. Conclusions We found large between-individual variation in common tern annual spatiotemporal distribution and strong individual repeatability of several aspects of their migratory behaviour.

No “carry-over” effects of tracking devices on return rate and parameters determining reproductive success in once and repeatedly tagged common swifts (Apus apus) a long-distance migratory bird

“…Thus, logger birds exhibit similar patterns like non-logger birds. Further, high consistency in arrival at the breeding site was also found in other studies with migratory bird species [34,59].…”

Four decades of phenology in an alpine amphibian: trends, stasis, and climatic drivers

“…In other species, for instance birds, higher values of repeatability have been found for migration phenology, a trait linked to breeding. Franklin and colleagues (2022) found in their meta-analysis an average value of repeatability of 0.414, while Kürten and colleagues (2022) found repeatability values above 0.60 for various traits (but see Clermont et al, 2018; Vaillant et al, 2021 for examples of low repeatability in birds), but in amphibians that follow an explosive breeding strategy, the genetic component does not appear to be the main determinant of variation in breeding phenology. This is due to either populations being truly able to respond plastically to changing climatic conditions, and therefore there is no strong selection on genetic variation in the trait, or there is little genetic variation in the population to begin with.…”

Contrasting haemoparasite prevalence in larid species with divergent ecological niches and migration patterns

“…Moreover, our study species show strong variation in their migratory behaviour; the common tern being a long-distance migrant (e.g. Kürten et al ., 2022) and the black-headed gull migrating only relatively short distances (e.g. Christmas et al ., 1986; Jelínek, 2008).…”

“…Gulls and terns also differ in their stop-over behaviour during migration. Common terns migrate rather quickly, both over sea and across land, using only few stopover sites located generally at the coast (Kürten et al ., 2022). In contrast, black-headed gulls migrate using broad migratory flyways, as they can refuel at diverse stopover sites, often located far from the coast (Cramp and Simmons, 1983; Wernham et al ., 2002).…”