Impact of Hurricane Wilma on migrating birds: the case of the Chimney Swift

Dionne, Mark; Maurice, Céline; Gauthier, Jean‐Philippe; Shaffer, François

doi:10.1676/07-123.1

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Extreme weather events can affect the timing of spring migration and the quality of breeding resources (La Sorte, Hochachka, Farnsworth, Dhondt, & Sheldon, 2016b). Climate models and observations (Knutson et al, 2010) also point toward more intense and frequent Atlantic hurricanes, which has the potential to severely disrupt spring migration (Dionne, Maurice, Gauthier, & Shaffer, 2008). In contrast to changes in WA that will develop over many decades, extreme weather events are immediate and, when combined with long-term climate trends, can result in significant ecological consequences (Harris et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Projected changes in wind assistance under climate change for nocturnally migrating bird populations

Sorte

Horton

Nilsson

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

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Current climate models and observations indicate that atmospheric circulation is being affected by global climate change. To assess how these changes may affect nocturnally migrating bird populations, we need to determine how current patterns of wind assistance at migration altitudes will be enhanced or reduced under future atmospheric conditions. Here, we use information compiled from 143 weather surveillance radars stations within the contiguous United States to estimate the daily altitude, density, and direction of nocturnal migration during the spring and autumn. We intersected this information with wind projections to estimate how wind assistance is expected to change during this century at current migration altitudes. The prevailing westerlies at midlatitudes are projected to increase in strength during spring migration and decrease in strength to a lesser degree during autumn migration. Southerly winds will increase in strength across the continent during both spring and autumn migration, with the strongest gains occurring in the center of the continent. Wind assistance is projected to increase across the central (0.44 m/s; 10.1%) and eastern portions of the continent (0.32 m/s; 9.6%) during spring migration, and wind assistance is projected to decrease within the central (0.32 m/s; 19.3%) and eastern portions of the continent (0.17 m/s; 6.6%) during autumn migration. Thus, across a broad portion of the continent where migration intensity is greatest, the efficiency of nocturnal migration is projected to increase in the spring and decrease in the autumn, potentially affecting time and energy expenditures for many migratory bird species. These findings highlight the importance of placing climate change projections within a relevant ecological context informed through empirical observations, and the need to consider the possibility that climate change may generate both positive and negative implications for natural systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Projected changes in wind assistance under climate change for nocturnally migrating bird populations

Sorte

Horton

Nilsson

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

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“…Faster storm motion may decrease migrant's probabilities of safely completing migration. Storm kills of migrating birds have been recorded for many species (Newton 2006(Newton , 2007, including North American songbirds (Butler 2000), the chimney swift (Dionne et al 2008), ducks (Roth 1976), and warblers (Case et al 1965). Fall migration of Pacific dunlin is transoceanic , but this is not true of Atlantic dunlins and so the mortality agent would not seem to involve a long overocean flight.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Flying birds could also be killed by electrocution in lightning storms (Glasrud 1976). Storms or more general conditions during southward migration may also cause indirect mortality, by affecting the condition or slowing migratory progress, increasing the risks of starvation or predation, either during the migration itself or in the subsequent nonbreeding period (Dionne et al 2008). These potential mechanisms require further investigation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large and irregular population fluctuations in migratory Pacific (Calidris alpina pacifica) and Atlantic (C. a. hudsonica) dunlins are driven by density‐dependence and climatic factors

Barrett

Lank

et al. 2015

Population Ecology

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Understanding the forces driving population dynamics is critical for species conservation and population management. For migratory birds, factors that regulate population abundance could come from effects experienced on breeding areas, wintering grounds, or during migration. We compiled survey data for Pacific and Atlantic subspecies of dunlins (Calidris alpina pacifica and C. a. hudsonica) from range‐wide Christmas bird counts (1975–2010), and investigated the influences on this population index of density‐dependence, falcon numbers, a set of seasonal environmental conditions during breeding, migration and non‐breeding periods, and large‐scale meteorological measures. For both sub‐species, numbers fluctuated irregularly, varying threefold over the survey period, with no long‐term upward or downward trend. Based on Royama's general model framework, the change in numbers between successive years for both sub‐species was negatively affected by the total count in the previous year (i.e., negative density‐dependence) and by the eastward component of storm movement during fall migration, with slower motion associated with higher population growth. The remaining environmental factors differed between the sub‐species (snowmelt date on the Pacific, temperature on the Atlantic) or acted in opposite directions (soil moisture). The directional effects of each of these factors are consistent with the biology of dunlin, and together they explain 67.4 (72.9 %) of the variation in the rate of change of Pacific (Atlantic) dunlin annual counts. Falcon numbers were not predictive, despite a tenfold increase in abundance, suggesting compensatory mortality. This study highlights directions for future studies, and provides a model for the analysis of other migratory species.

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“…Yet the drivers of these changes-and the species consequently most vulnerable-are highly debated (Hussell et al 1992;Rappole and McDonald 1994). Prevailing hypotheses regarding the cause of recent declines include winter habitat destruction in the tropics (Robbins et al 1989;Sherry and Holmes 1996), mortality on breeding grounds (Bohning-Gaese et al 1993), or harsh seasonal weather (Sauer et al 1996;Butler 2000;Dionne et al 2008). Other factors may include climate-driven asynchrony between migratory phenology and resource availability, or indirect influences of climate on fitness across seasons (Stenseth and Mysterud 2002;Both et al 2006;Saino et al 2004;Lehikoinen et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in songbird migratory behavior offers clues about adaptability to environmental change

et al. 2011

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For seasonally migrating birds, aspects of migratory behavior, such as the use of temperate versus tropical wintering areas, may influence their ability to respond to environmental change. Here, we infer potential flexibility in songbird migration from variation in two alternative stopover behaviors. Hierarchical Bayesian mark-recapture modeling was used to quantify stopover decisions over 19 years for four temperate and four tropical migratory species at a stopover site in southern Canada. Short-distance temperate migrants exhibited higher variability in behavior and greater responses to local weather than longer-distance tropical migrants, as measured by transience (the proportion of birds stopping <24 h, i.e. seeking brief sanctuary or subsequently relocating) and departure (re-initiation of migration by birds that stopped over for >24 h). In contrast to many previous works on climate-migration associations, annual variation in stopover behavior did not show strong links to broad-scale climatic fluctuations for either temperate or tropical migrants, nor was there any indication of directional changes in stopover behavior over the past two decades. In addition to suggesting that migratory songbirds-particularly tropical-wintering species-may face increasing threats with future climatic variability, our study highlights the potential importance of flexibility in en-route behavior for resilience to environmental change.

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Impact of Hurricane Wilma on migrating birds: the case of the Chimney Swift

Cited by 17 publications

References 10 publications

Projected changes in wind assistance under climate change for nocturnally migrating bird populations

Projected changes in wind assistance under climate change for nocturnally migrating bird populations

Large and irregular population fluctuations in migratory Pacific (Calidris alpina pacifica) and Atlantic (C. a. hudsonica) dunlins are driven by density‐dependence and climatic factors

Variation in songbird migratory behavior offers clues about adaptability to environmental change

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