Barn swallows long-distance migration occurs between significantly temperature-correlated areas
Abstract Organisms are routinely confronted with crucial decisions on the best time and place to perform fundamental activities. However, unpredictable spatio-temporal variation in ecological factors makes life-history optimization difficult particularly for long-distance migrants, which are putativ...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nature Publishing Group
2018-08-01
|
Series: | Scientific Reports |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30849-0 |
id |
doaj-2fb03e2427ed4b1e80d62aba354547a4 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-2fb03e2427ed4b1e80d62aba354547a42020-12-08T04:08:18ZengNature Publishing GroupScientific Reports2045-23222018-08-01811910.1038/s41598-018-30849-0Barn swallows long-distance migration occurs between significantly temperature-correlated areasMattia Pancerasa0Roberto Ambrosini1Nicola Saino2Renato Casagrandi3Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e BioingegneriaUniversity of Milano Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Milan, Department of Environmental Science and PolicyPolitecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e BioingegneriaAbstract Organisms are routinely confronted with crucial decisions on the best time and place to perform fundamental activities. However, unpredictable spatio-temporal variation in ecological factors makes life-history optimization difficult particularly for long-distance migrants, which are putatively blind of conditions thousands of kilometers and weeks ahead along their journey. Here we challenge, on a hierarchy of geographical scales, the common wisdom that migratory birds have no clue to ecological conditions at destination. Using ringing data of the inter-continental migrating barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), we show that temperatures at breeding sites and at times of arrival from migration are more correlated with those at actual wintering sites and at times of departure than with those at other sites and at periods before/after departure. Hence, individual swallows have clues to adjust timing of spring migration based on expected conditions at destination, and they apparently choose wintering sites to increase availability of such information.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30849-0 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Mattia Pancerasa Roberto Ambrosini Nicola Saino Renato Casagrandi |
spellingShingle |
Mattia Pancerasa Roberto Ambrosini Nicola Saino Renato Casagrandi Barn swallows long-distance migration occurs between significantly temperature-correlated areas Scientific Reports |
author_facet |
Mattia Pancerasa Roberto Ambrosini Nicola Saino Renato Casagrandi |
author_sort |
Mattia Pancerasa |
title |
Barn swallows long-distance migration occurs between significantly temperature-correlated areas |
title_short |
Barn swallows long-distance migration occurs between significantly temperature-correlated areas |
title_full |
Barn swallows long-distance migration occurs between significantly temperature-correlated areas |
title_fullStr |
Barn swallows long-distance migration occurs between significantly temperature-correlated areas |
title_full_unstemmed |
Barn swallows long-distance migration occurs between significantly temperature-correlated areas |
title_sort |
barn swallows long-distance migration occurs between significantly temperature-correlated areas |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
series |
Scientific Reports |
issn |
2045-2322 |
publishDate |
2018-08-01 |
description |
Abstract Organisms are routinely confronted with crucial decisions on the best time and place to perform fundamental activities. However, unpredictable spatio-temporal variation in ecological factors makes life-history optimization difficult particularly for long-distance migrants, which are putatively blind of conditions thousands of kilometers and weeks ahead along their journey. Here we challenge, on a hierarchy of geographical scales, the common wisdom that migratory birds have no clue to ecological conditions at destination. Using ringing data of the inter-continental migrating barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), we show that temperatures at breeding sites and at times of arrival from migration are more correlated with those at actual wintering sites and at times of departure than with those at other sites and at periods before/after departure. Hence, individual swallows have clues to adjust timing of spring migration based on expected conditions at destination, and they apparently choose wintering sites to increase availability of such information. |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30849-0 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT mattiapancerasa barnswallowslongdistancemigrationoccursbetweensignificantlytemperaturecorrelatedareas AT robertoambrosini barnswallowslongdistancemigrationoccursbetweensignificantlytemperaturecorrelatedareas AT nicolasaino barnswallowslongdistancemigrationoccursbetweensignificantlytemperaturecorrelatedareas AT renatocasagrandi barnswallowslongdistancemigrationoccursbetweensignificantlytemperaturecorrelatedareas |
_version_ |
1724392270674788352 |