Night Migratory Songbirds Exhibit Metabolic Ability to Support High Aerobic Capacity during Migration

Aerobic metabolism in night migratory songbirds exhibit seasonal plasticity, which depends not only on annual life history stages (LHSs), viz., migratory/nonmigratory or breeding/nonbreeding, but also on the time of the day. Initially, we studied daily changes in behavior/physiology alongside aerobic metabolism intermediates using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based chemometric analyses of serum of migratory male redheaded buntings during low-energy wintering, that is, the nonmigrating LHS. Then, the metabolic phenotype of nonmigrating birds was compared with that of photostimulated migrating buntings, the latter representing the high-energy LHS. Diurnal changes such as daytime feeding and activity were reflected by increased fatty acid (FA, viz., palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids) levels and protein catabolites, whereas higher night-time levels of short-chain FAs indicated lipolysis in night-fasted birds. High night-time levels of taurine, a sulfur amino acid, suggested the endogenous metabolite rendering an adaptive advantage to hyperglycaemic night migratory songbirds during the LHS with low daily energy expenditure. Conversely, migrating birds, largely night-active, exhibited higher circulatory FA, its mobilization, and increased aerobic catabolism, and the adipocyte-secreted lipid, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), capable of activating the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α-PGCα axis, showed elevated levels throughout the day. PEA is known for anti-inflammatory and cannabinomimetic properties, and we show, for the first time, circadian changes in PEA levels in any migrating bird. Significantly higher levels of pyridoxal phosphate also suggested the bird's protective ability to combat metabolic stress through high aerobic capacity during migration. This study elucidates putative "serum biomarkers" with a protective role in stress accrued by enhanced aerobic capacity requirements at the organismal level.