Data from: Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant ...

• Main Authors: Duijns, Sjoerd, Niles, Lawrence J., Dey, Amanda, Aubry, Yves, Friis, Christian, Koch, Stephanie, Anderson, Alexandra M., Smith, Paul A.
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2017
• Subjects: departure decision; Calidris canutus rufa; 2014-2016; migratory performance; automated telemetry; Holocene; shorebirds; Arctic; Calidris canutus; Red Knot
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.65t4k; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.65t4k

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 ... : Red Knot VHF tracking dataPlease read the README file for details. ...