Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger
Abstract Increasing predation danger can select for safety‐enhancing modifications to prey morphology. Here, we document the multi‐decade wing lengthening of a Pacific flyway migrant, the western sandpiper ( Calidris mauri ), and contrast this with contemporaneous wing shortening of the closely rela...
Published in: | Ecology and Evolution |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Other Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2023
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10325 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.10325 |
id |
crwiley:10.1002/ece3.10325 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crwiley:10.1002/ece3.10325 2024-09-30T14:34:38+00:00 Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger Ydenberg, Ronald C. Fernández, Guillermo Ortiz Lopez, Enver Lank, David B. Environment and Climate Change Canada Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10325 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.10325 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ecology and Evolution volume 13, issue 7 ISSN 2045-7758 2045-7758 journal-article 2023 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10325 2024-09-05T05:04:55Z Abstract Increasing predation danger can select for safety‐enhancing modifications to prey morphology. Here, we document the multi‐decade wing lengthening of a Pacific flyway migrant, the western sandpiper ( Calidris mauri ), and contrast this with contemporaneous wing shortening of the closely related semipalmated sandpiper ( C. pusilla ) on the Atlantic flyway. We measured >12,000 southbound western sandpipers captured from 1978 to 2020 at a major stopover site in British Columbia. Wing length increased at 0.074 mm year −1 (SE = 0.017; p < .0003) for adults, and 0.087 mm year −1 (SE = 0.029; p < .007) for juveniles. These rates are of similarly large magnitude (4%–5% overall), but opposite in direction, to the rate we previously reported for semipalmated sandpiper adults (−0.103 mm year −1 ). In both species, the change is specific to wings rather than being part of a general body size change. We interpret both trends as responses to the ongoing strong increase of peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ) populations since the mid‐1970s, an important predator encountered by these species in contrasting ways during migration. Western sandpipers and peregrine migrations have temporal and spatial overlap. Longer wings enhance migratory speed and efficiency, enabling western sandpipers to decrease overlap by advancing to safer zones ahead of falcon passage. In contrast, semipalmated sandpipers primarily encounter peregrines as residents at migratory staging sites. Shorter wings improve acceleration and agility, helping migrants to escape attacks. Juvenile western sandpiper wing length also shows a component additive to the lengthening trend, shifting between years at 0.055 mm day −1 with the highly variable snowmelt date, with wings shorter following early springs. On the Pacific flyway, the timing of peregrine southward passage advances with snowmelt, increasing the relative exposure of juveniles to post‐migratory resident peregrines. We interpret this annual wing length adjustment as an induced defense, ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Falco peregrinus peregrine falcon Wiley Online Library Pacific Ecology and Evolution 13 7 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
op_collection_id |
crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Increasing predation danger can select for safety‐enhancing modifications to prey morphology. Here, we document the multi‐decade wing lengthening of a Pacific flyway migrant, the western sandpiper ( Calidris mauri ), and contrast this with contemporaneous wing shortening of the closely related semipalmated sandpiper ( C. pusilla ) on the Atlantic flyway. We measured >12,000 southbound western sandpipers captured from 1978 to 2020 at a major stopover site in British Columbia. Wing length increased at 0.074 mm year −1 (SE = 0.017; p < .0003) for adults, and 0.087 mm year −1 (SE = 0.029; p < .007) for juveniles. These rates are of similarly large magnitude (4%–5% overall), but opposite in direction, to the rate we previously reported for semipalmated sandpiper adults (−0.103 mm year −1 ). In both species, the change is specific to wings rather than being part of a general body size change. We interpret both trends as responses to the ongoing strong increase of peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ) populations since the mid‐1970s, an important predator encountered by these species in contrasting ways during migration. Western sandpipers and peregrine migrations have temporal and spatial overlap. Longer wings enhance migratory speed and efficiency, enabling western sandpipers to decrease overlap by advancing to safer zones ahead of falcon passage. In contrast, semipalmated sandpipers primarily encounter peregrines as residents at migratory staging sites. Shorter wings improve acceleration and agility, helping migrants to escape attacks. Juvenile western sandpiper wing length also shows a component additive to the lengthening trend, shifting between years at 0.055 mm day −1 with the highly variable snowmelt date, with wings shorter following early springs. On the Pacific flyway, the timing of peregrine southward passage advances with snowmelt, increasing the relative exposure of juveniles to post‐migratory resident peregrines. We interpret this annual wing length adjustment as an induced defense, ... |
author2 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ydenberg, Ronald C. Fernández, Guillermo Ortiz Lopez, Enver Lank, David B. |
spellingShingle |
Ydenberg, Ronald C. Fernández, Guillermo Ortiz Lopez, Enver Lank, David B. Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger |
author_facet |
Ydenberg, Ronald C. Fernández, Guillermo Ortiz Lopez, Enver Lank, David B. |
author_sort |
Ydenberg, Ronald C. |
title |
Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger |
title_short |
Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger |
title_full |
Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger |
title_fullStr |
Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger |
title_full_unstemmed |
Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger |
title_sort |
avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10325 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.10325 |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Falco peregrinus peregrine falcon |
genre_facet |
Falco peregrinus peregrine falcon |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution volume 13, issue 7 ISSN 2045-7758 2045-7758 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10325 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
7 |
_version_ |
1811638179244015616 |