Preliminary Research on the Ability of Ducks to Discriminate Atmospheric Pressure Changes*

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONMany investigators have correlated atmospheric pressure changes with quantitative changes in the daily and seasonal activities of various animals. In particular, the intensity of bird migrations has been correlated with the location of pressure cells and fronts. As early as 1888 Cookeg stated that birds are able to avoid storms by migrating when atmospheric pressure was decreasing. Eaton" observed the greatest spring bird migrations following low pressure centers from the southwest and preceding shower activity.Thomson31 suspected that atmospheric pressure is a stimulus for the initiation of migration, and Clarke* suggested that the stimulus was actually a high pressure cell. Bagg1,2 stated that spring migration in North America is initiated by a barometric pressure gradient falling from east to west. Mascher and Stoltlg made a series of observations in which several variables, including temperature and humidity, were kept constant and demonstrated a weak correlation between nocturnal migratory restlessness (Zugunruhe) and natural variations in atmospheric pressure. However, this correlation was for data grouped into three-and ten-day periods, suggesting a long-term effect.Other investigators have correlated atmospheric pressure changes with the intensity of migrations already underway. Hochbaum15 noted that mass migrations of waterfowl through Manitoba followed an increase in barometric pressure. ProescholdtZ4 stated that the northward migration out of Iowa in the spring was on the western edge of a high pressure system and in the warm sector of a low pressure system. The movement of hawks near Lake Ontario is correlated with a decrease in barometric pressure in association with an approaching low pressure c e l l 3 Nisbet and DruryZ3 conducted a multiple regression analysis of 19 weather variables and showed that songbird and waterbird migrations over Cape Cod, Massachusetts were greatest in the presence of a high pressure cell.Numerous other investigators have also correlated avian migration with changes Landsberg17 suggested that this correlation might occur because migrants utilize tail winds by pressure-pattern-flying, a technique used to gain ground-speed while maintaining a constant air-speed. In 1908 WalteP noted that woodcock in Europe migrated from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure; this migration pattern could be a reflection of pressure-pattern-flying.The underlying assumption in all of these studies is that birds have the capacity to detect atmospheric pressure changes.We designed and conducted an experiment to determine whether mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) have the ability to detect small atmospheric pressure changes and respond in a prescribed behavioral pattern. in atmospheric p~e~~u~e . 2 -7~1 0~1 4~1 6~~1~2 2~2~2~, 3 2 Supported in part by Biomedical Sciences Support grant no. 31-1801-4511 under NIH grant no. 5 SO5 RR07127-02. 98 Lehner & Dennis: Ducks 99 FIGURE 1. Experimental pressure chamber and electromechanical programming and recording modules. METHODS AND ...

Environment, behavior and physiology: do birds use barometric pressure to predict storms?

“…Our data thus provide modest support for the hypothesis that animals can use changing barometric pressure to predict the onset of inclement weather. Several studies indicate that birds can detect changes in barometric pressure (Kreithen and Keeton, 1974;Lehner and Dennis, 1971), and may alter behavioral patterns as a result (especially during migration) (Blokpoel and Richardson, 1978;Maransky et al, 1997;Matthews and Rodewald, 2010;Panuccio et al, 2010;Pyle et al, 1993;Sapir et al, 2011;Shamoun-Baranes et al, 2006). However, this is the first study to experimentally test this idea.…”

“…Studies from a variety of taxa indicate that animals use barometric pressure to time behavioral transitions. Frogs may call more when barometric pressure is low and rain is likely (Brooke et al, 2000;Oseen and Wassersug, 2002); fish move into salt marshes (possibly to forage) as barometric pressure declines (Crinall and Hindell, 2004); and bats and birds can sense changes in barometric pressure (Kreithen and Keeton, 1974;Lehner and Dennis, 1971;Paige, 1995), and may alter migratory behavior to avoid poor weather (Blokpoel and Richardson, 1978;Cryan and Brown, 2007;Maransky et al, 1997;Matthews and Rodewald, 2010;Panuccio et al, 2010;Pyle et al, 1993;Sapir et al, 2011;Shamoun-Baranes et al, 2006). The majority of studies, however, examine correlations among behavioral patterns and naturally varying barometric pressure.…”

Timing of reproduction in a Darwin's finch: temporal opportunism under spatial constraints

“…Further, humidity can affect gonad growth and reproductive behavior in captive zebra finches (Vleck and Priedkalns 1985, Cynx 2001) and spotted munias ( Lonchura punctulata, Sikdar et al 1992). It has not yet been documented that birds can respond to changes in trade winds, but birds and bats can perceive changes in atmospheric pressure (Lehner and Dennis 1971, Kreithen and Keeton 1974, Paige 1995).…”

Infrasonic hearing in birds: a review of audiometry and hypothesized structure–function relationships

“…In the context of bird infrasound perception, the bird ear is capable of being stimulated by both non-acoustic and acoustic pressure perturbations at infrasonic frequencies, just as a single microphone will measure both wind and sound pressure fluctuations. The thresholds for detection of static shifts in atmospheric pressure in birds are on the order of 94 Pa (pigeons) to 2.8 kPa (ducks) (Lehner & Dennis, 1971;Kreithen & Keeton, 1974) and static pressure changes applied to the middle ear air cavity can produce displacements of middle ear structures in birds (Claes et al, 2018), indicating that non-acoustic pressure fluctuations could stimulate the ear. Therefore, since both fluctuations co-occur in the environment, care needs to be taken when making interpretations of behavioural responses to acoustic infrasound as distinct from responses to non-acoustic pressure perturbations.…”