Climate change drives migratory range shift via individual plasticity in shearwaters

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Animal Behavior
• Climate Change Biology

Background:

• Individual animal responses to climate change are critical for population persistence.
• Understanding behavioral mechanisms driving population range shifts is limited.
• Migratory species face challenges adapting to changing environmental conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how individual behavioral plasticity in migration underpins population range shifts.
• To examine the role of sea-surface temperature in migratory destination changes.
• To explore the cognitive mechanisms involved in migratory adaptation.

Main Methods:

• Long-term geolocator tracking of Balearic shearwaters (Puffinus mauretanicus).
• Analysis of year-to-year changes in individual migratory destinations.
• Correlation of migration patterns with sea-surface temperature data.

Main Results:

• A significant northward shift in the post-breeding range of Balearic shearwaters was observed.
• Individual birds exhibited plasticity, migrating further north in response to warmer sea-surface temperatures.
• Increased migration distance was associated with faster return times to breeding areas.

Conclusions:

• Individual behavioral plasticity is a key mechanism driving population range shifts in response to climate change.
• Spatial cognitive mechanisms, such as route memory, may facilitate adaptive migratory plasticity.
• Understanding individual behavior is crucial for predicting species persistence in a changing climate.