Lowery on Trans-Gulf Migrations

Williams, George G.

doi:10.2307/4080542

Cited by 11 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 10 publications

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“…The exchange between Lowery and Williams continued over a period of years (Williams 1947, Lowery 1951. Ultimately, Stevenson (1957), using the results of various surveys of migrant density from Florida to Yucatan, appeared to have resolved the dispute largely in favour of Lowery and Cooke.…”

Section: Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting migratory bird routes over the Gulf of Mexico

Rappole

Ramos

1994

Bird Conservation International

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SummaryOver half of the 332 migratory bird species that breed in North America and winter in the tropics are affected by the obstacle to migratory flight presented by the Gulf of Mexico. Landbird migration in the vicinity of the Gulf is considered from an historical perspective, and in light of netting and observational data from the western Gulf coast. A trans-Gulf crossing from the northern Gulf coast to, or over, Yucatan is the most commonly followed fall route for eastern Nearctic migrants that winter in Central America. The spring route for these species is different, involving a more westerly trans–Gulf course for some individuals, and a circum–Gulf route for others. Prevailing wind direction and the probability of meeting turbulence over the Gulf are suggested as the main selective factors affecting route form for Gulf–area migrants.

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Section: Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting migratory bird routes over the Gulf of Mexico

Rappole

Ramos

1994

Bird Conservation International

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Flight Calls and Their Value for Future Ornithological Studies and Conservation Research

Farnsworth

2005

The Auk

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Trans-Gulf of Mexico loop migration of tree swallows revealed by solar geolocation

et al. 2014

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One of the greatest feats of avian migration is the non-stop crossing of extensive areas of inhospitable habitat such as deserts and seas. Differences in spring and autumn migration routes have been reported in species that cross such barriers, and are thought to have evolved in response to seasonal variation in prevailing wind direction. We tested the hypothesis that migration routes vary seasonally with respect to the Gulf of Mexico in the tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor using solar geolocators attached and retrieved at 4 breeding sites in central North America. We found that 100 % of birds (n = 10) made a trans-Gulf flight of >850 km from Louisiana south to their wintering grounds in the Yucatan Peninsula in 12–36 hours, achieving minimum ground speeds as high as 32 m/s. Although most days during autumn migration were characterized by unfavorable headwinds blowing to the northwest, migration over the Gulf mostly occurred on days with strong winds blowing to the south. In contrast, in 8 of 9 (88 %) birds on spring migration returned from the wintering grounds towards Louisiana following a clockwise loop pat tern flying over land to the west around the Gulf. During this spring period there were few days with prevailing winds from the south to assist northward migration. Results suggest that, despite being up to three times further (ca. 2,700 km), a coastal cir- cum-Gulf spring migration represents the less risky route when wind conditions are not favorable. These findings also help to re solve a long-standing dispute in the literature concerning migration patterns between the US Gulf coast and Mexico, and provide insight into the factors shaping migration strategies of small songbirds migrating across large bodies of water.

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Lowery on Trans-Gulf Migrations

Cited by 11 publications

References 10 publications

Factors affecting migratory bird routes over the Gulf of Mexico

Factors affecting migratory bird routes over the Gulf of Mexico

Flight Calls and Their Value for Future Ornithological Studies and Conservation Research

Trans-Gulf of Mexico loop migration of tree swallows revealed by solar geolocation

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