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Migration distance affects how closely Eurasian wigeons follow spring phenology during migration
Mariëlle L van Toor1, Sergey Kharitonov2, Saulius Švažas3
1Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden. marielle.vantoor@lnu.se.
Longer migration distances for Eurasian wigeons may cause them to fall behind spring's arrival. This study tracked wigeon migration, finding that distance impacts their ability to closely follow spring phenology.
Area of Science:
- Avian ecology
- Animal migration
Background:
- Herbivorous migratory birds time their migration with spring phenology for resources.
- Long-distance migrants may trade off optimal conditions en route for early arrival at breeding grounds.
- This can lead to them overtaking spring, impacting resource availability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if migration distance influences how closely Eurasian wigeons track spring phenology.
- To understand the relationship between migration distance and adherence to spring's progression.
Main Methods:
- Wigeons were captured and tracked in the Netherlands and Lithuania during spring migration.
- Temperature-derived spring phenology indicators were used to assess adherence to spring.
- Migration distance and maximum longitude reached were analyzed in relation to phenological tracking.
- Impact of tagging on migration timing was assessed using ring recovery data.
Main Results:
- Wigeons migrated between 300 and 4000 km, with some covering 1000 km daily.
- Birds migrating to more north-easterly locations followed spring phenology more closely, especially with greater migration distances.
- Tagging, representing ~2% of body mass, slowed wigeon migration by 11-12 days compared to untagged individuals.
Conclusions:
- Migratory strategy can vary within species based on migration distance and corridor.
- Individual migration decisions are influenced by environmental cues and potential trade-offs in life-history stages.
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