Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant
Body condition (i.e. relative mass after correcting for structural size) affects the behaviour of migrating birds, but how body condition affects migratory performance, timing and fitness is still largely unknown. Here, we studied the effects of relative body condition on individual departure decisi...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 |
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crroyalsociety:10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 2024-06-23T07:50:35+00:00 Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant Duijns, Sjoerd Niles, Lawrence J. Dey, Amanda Aubry, Yves Friis, Christian Koch, Stephanie Anderson, Alexandra M. Smith, Paul A. Mitacs Accelerate Graduate Research Internship Program 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 284, issue 1866, page 20171374 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 journal-article 2017 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 2024-06-04T06:22:58Z Body condition (i.e. relative mass after correcting for structural size) affects the behaviour of migrating birds, but how body condition affects migratory performance, timing and fitness is still largely unknown. Here, we studied the effects of relative body condition on individual departure decisions, wind selectivity, flight speed and timing of migration for a long-distance migratory shorebird, the red knot Calidris canutus rufa. By using automated VHF telemetry on a continental scale, we studied knots' migratory movements with unprecedented temporal resolution over a 3-year period. Knots with a higher relative body condition left the staging site later than birds in lower condition, yet still arrived earlier to their Arctic breeding grounds compared to knots in lower relative body condition. They accomplished this by selecting more favourable winds at departure, thereby flying faster and making shorter stops en route . Individuals with a higher relative body condition in spring migrated south up to a month later than individuals in lower condition, suggesting that individuals in better condition were more likely to have bred successfully. Moreover, individuals with a lower relative body condition in spring had a lower probability of being detected in autumn, suggestive of increased mortality. The pressure to arrive early to the breeding grounds is considered to be an important constraint of migratory behaviour and this study highlights the important influence of body condition on migratory decisions, performance and potentially fitness of migrant birds. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Calidris canutus Red Knot The Royal Society Arctic Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284 1866 20171374 |
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Open Polar |
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The Royal Society |
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crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
Body condition (i.e. relative mass after correcting for structural size) affects the behaviour of migrating birds, but how body condition affects migratory performance, timing and fitness is still largely unknown. Here, we studied the effects of relative body condition on individual departure decisions, wind selectivity, flight speed and timing of migration for a long-distance migratory shorebird, the red knot Calidris canutus rufa. By using automated VHF telemetry on a continental scale, we studied knots' migratory movements with unprecedented temporal resolution over a 3-year period. Knots with a higher relative body condition left the staging site later than birds in lower condition, yet still arrived earlier to their Arctic breeding grounds compared to knots in lower relative body condition. They accomplished this by selecting more favourable winds at departure, thereby flying faster and making shorter stops en route . Individuals with a higher relative body condition in spring migrated south up to a month later than individuals in lower condition, suggesting that individuals in better condition were more likely to have bred successfully. Moreover, individuals with a lower relative body condition in spring had a lower probability of being detected in autumn, suggestive of increased mortality. The pressure to arrive early to the breeding grounds is considered to be an important constraint of migratory behaviour and this study highlights the important influence of body condition on migratory decisions, performance and potentially fitness of migrant birds. |
author2 |
Mitacs Accelerate Graduate Research Internship Program |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Duijns, Sjoerd Niles, Lawrence J. Dey, Amanda Aubry, Yves Friis, Christian Koch, Stephanie Anderson, Alexandra M. Smith, Paul A. |
spellingShingle |
Duijns, Sjoerd Niles, Lawrence J. Dey, Amanda Aubry, Yves Friis, Christian Koch, Stephanie Anderson, Alexandra M. Smith, Paul A. Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant |
author_facet |
Duijns, Sjoerd Niles, Lawrence J. Dey, Amanda Aubry, Yves Friis, Christian Koch, Stephanie Anderson, Alexandra M. Smith, Paul A. |
author_sort |
Duijns, Sjoerd |
title |
Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant |
title_short |
Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant |
title_full |
Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant |
title_fullStr |
Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant |
title_full_unstemmed |
Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant |
title_sort |
body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Calidris canutus Red Knot |
genre_facet |
Arctic Calidris canutus Red Knot |
op_source |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences volume 284, issue 1866, page 20171374 ISSN 0962-8452 1471-2954 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1374 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
284 |
container_issue |
1866 |
container_start_page |
20171374 |
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1802641495793074176 |