Individual migration strategy fidelity but no habitat specialization in two congeneric seabirds

Merkel, Benjamin; Descamps, Sébastien; Yoccoz, Nigel G.; Grémillet, David; Daunt, Francis; Erikstad, Kjell Einar; Ezhov, A. V.; Harris, Mike; Gavrilo, Maria; Lorentsen, Svein Håkon; Reiertsen, Tone Kristin; Steen, Harald B.; Systad, Geir Helge; Þórarinsson, Þorkell Lindberg; Wanless, Sarah; Strøm, Hallvard

doi:10.1111/jbi.13883

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…However, we also observed temporal variation in space use, with EMD values being higher (i.e., migrations were less similar) when split into stages/periods, compared to the migration as a whole. This suggests a degree of temporal flexibility, such that individuals use the same areas in different years, but not necessarily at the same time during the non-breeding period, which has also been shown for other seabirds [ 37 , 54 ]. This temporal flexibility therefore seems to only occur within the range of known areas for a particular individual, suggesting that relying on familiar areas is more beneficial than switching to a new location [ 36 ], and implies that temporal variation in resource availability may not be very large at these scales.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Individual consistency in migration strategies of a tropical seabird, the Round Island petrel

et al. 2022

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Background In migratory species, the extent of within- and between-individual variation in migratory strategies can influence potential rates and directions of responses to environmental changes. Quantifying this variation requires tracking of many individuals on repeated migratory journeys. At temperate and higher latitudes, low levels of within-individual variation in migratory behaviours are common and may reflect repeated use of predictable resources in these seasonally-structured environments. However, variation in migratory behaviours in the tropics, where seasonal predictability of food resources can be weaker, remains largely unknown. Methods Round Island petrels (Pterodroma sp.) are tropical, pelagic seabirds that breed all year round and perform long-distance migrations. Using multi-year geolocator tracking data from 62 individuals between 2009 and 2018, we quantify levels of within- and between-individual variation in non-breeding distributions and timings. Results We found striking levels of between-individual variation in at-sea movements and timings, with non-breeding migrations to different areas occurring across much of the Indian Ocean and throughout the whole year. Despite this, repeat-tracking of individual petrels revealed remarkably high levels of spatial and temporal consistency in within-individual migratory behaviour, particularly for petrels that departed at similar times in different years and for those departing in the austral summer. However, while the same areas were used by individuals in different years, they were not necessarily used at the same times during the non-breeding period. Conclusions Even in tropical systems with huge ranges of migratory routes and timings, our results suggest benefits of consistency in individual migratory behaviours. Identifying the factors that drive and maintain between-individual variation in migratory behaviour, and the consequences for breeding success and survival, will be key to understanding the consequences of environmental change across migratory ranges.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Individual consistency in migration strategies of a tropical seabird, the Round Island petrel

et al. 2022

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“…Individuals with a high site fidelity may be less flexible to voluntarily change sites and more sensitive to displacement caused by disturbance. Consequently, less flexible individuals might adapt more slowly to a new environment, than an individual that is familiar with multiple sites and can use flexible strategies (Catry et al 2004;McFarlane et al 2014;Merkel et al 2021). Individual site utilisation and movements within and between years are, therefore, important to consider in conservation decisions (Croxall et al 2005;González-Solís et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual movements of a migratory seabird—the NW European red-throated diver (Gavia stellata)—reveals high individual repeatability but low migratory connectivity

et al. 2022

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In this study, the annual movements of a seabird species, the red-throated diver (Gavia stellata), were investigated in space and time. Between 2015 and 2017, 33 individuals were fitted with satellite transmitters at the German Bight (eastern North Sea). In addition, stable isotope analyses of feathers (δ13C) were used to identify staging areas during the previous moult. The German Bight is an important area for this species, but is also strongly affected by anthropogenic impacts. To understand how this might affect populations, we aimed to determine the degree of connectivity and site fidelity, and the extent to which seasonal migrations vary among different breeding locations in the high Arctic. Tagged individuals migrated to Greenland (n = 2), Svalbard (n = 2), Norway (n = 4) and northern Russia (n = 25). Although individuals from a shared breeding region (northern Russia) largely moved along the same route, individuals dispersed to different, separate areas during the non-breeding phase. Kernel density estimates also overlapped only partially, indicating low connectivity. The timing of breeding was correlated with the breeding longitude, with 40 days later arrival at the easternmost than westernmost breeding sites. Repeatability analyses between years revealed a generally high individual site fidelity with respect to spring staging, breeding and moulting sites. In summary, low connectivity and the distribution to different sites suggests some resilience to population decline among subpopulations. However, it should be noted that the majority of individuals breeding in northern Russia migrated along a similar route and that disturbance in areas visited along this route could have a greater impact on this population. In turn, individual site fidelity could indicate low adaptability to environmental changes and could lead to potential carry-over effects. Annual migration data indicate that conservation planning must consider all sites used by such mobile species.

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“…Finally, because environmental heterogeneity in the dynamic marine environment reflects the complexity of habitat types that shape resource fluctuations over both space and time (Trevail, Green, Sharples, Polton, Arnould, et al., 2019), we establish whether habitat selection specifically (i.e. tracking habitat types), rather than fidelity to particular foraging site locations, is the mechanism by which individual specialisations in habitat selection while foraging arise in these populations (Merkel et al., 2020). To do so, we test whether environmental heterogeneity influences a population's degree of individual fidelity to specific foraging sites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental heterogeneity promotes individual specialisation in habitat selection in a widely distributed seabird

Trevail

Green

Bolton

et al. 2021

Journal of Animal Ecology

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1. Individual specialisations in behaviour are predicted to arise where divergence benefits fitness. Such specialisations are more likely in heterogeneous environments where there is both greater ecological opportunity and competition-driven frequency dependent selection.2. Such an effect could explain observed differences in rates of individual specialisation in habitat selection, as it offers individuals an opportunity to select for habitat types that maximise resource gain while minimising competition; however, this mechanism has not been tested before.3. Here, we use habitat selection functions to quantify individual specialisations while foraging by black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla, a marine top predator, at 15 colonies around the United Kingdom and Ireland, along a gradient of environmental heterogeneity.4. We find support for the hypothesis that individual specialisations in habitat selection while foraging are more prevalent in heterogeneous environments. This trend was significant across multiple dynamic habitat variables that change over short time-scales and did not arise through site fidelity, which highlights the importance of environmental processes in facilitating behavioural adaptation by predators. 5. Individual differences may drive evolutionary processes, and therefore these results suggest that there is broad scope for the degree of environmental heterogeneity to determine current and future population, species and community dynamics.

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Individual migration strategy fidelity but no habitat specialization in two congeneric seabirds

Cited by 10 publications

References 71 publications

Individual consistency in migration strategies of a tropical seabird, the Round Island petrel

Individual consistency in migration strategies of a tropical seabird, the Round Island petrel

Annual movements of a migratory seabird—the NW European red-throated diver (Gavia stellata)—reveals high individual repeatability but low migratory connectivity

Environmental heterogeneity promotes individual specialisation in habitat selection in a widely distributed seabird

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