Timing, reproduction and biometrics of a long-distance passerine migrant in a core and a peripheral population

Abstract

Understanding the mechanisms and the factors influencing the phenology, reproduction and biometrics of long-distance migrants are extremely important as global climate warming has induced changes in the locations of geographic ranges and dates of migration and reproduction. In this article, we compare phenology, reproductive parameters and adult biometrics of core and peripheral populations of a rare and endangered bird—the barred warbler Curruca nisoria—that inhabits the farming landscapes and makes long-distance trans-continental migrations. We predicted that: (i) individuals nesting in the core population would be larger than in the peripheral population; (ii) the reproductive parameters of the Barred Warblers in the core population would be higher than in the peripheral population. The Barred Warblers nesting in the centre of the range laid larger clutches and were clearly larger than individuals from the small, peripheral population. However, no differences in egg size and productivity were observed between the analysed populations. The Barred Warblers synchronised their breeding dates over a large geographical area as they had only a short time window for reproduction and had to lay their eggs as soon as possible. Individuals arriving earlier on the breeding grounds had larger clutches, longer wings and produced more nestlings. The pressure of the passage of time during the breeding season was a more important factor than the geographical location affecting the breeding characteristics in these populations.