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Autumn migratory fuelling: a response to simulated magnetic displacements in juvenile wheatears, Oenanthe oenanthe

Boström, Jannika LU ; Fransson, Thord ; Henshaw, Ian ; Jakobsson, Sven ; Kullberg, Cecilia and Åkesson, Susanne LU (2010) In Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 64(11). p.1725-1732
Abstract
Recent experiments exposing migratory birds to altered magnetic fields simulating geographical displacements have shown that the geomagnetic field acts as an external cue affecting migratory fuelling behaviour. This is the first study investigating fuel deposition in relation to geomagnetic cues in long-distance migrants using the western passage of the Mediterranean region. Juvenile wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) were exposed to a magnetically simulated autumn migration from southern Sweden to West Africa. Birds displaced parallel to the west of their natural migration route, simulating an unnatural flight over the Atlantic Ocean, increased their fuel deposition compared to birds experiencing a simulated migration along the natural route.... (More)
Recent experiments exposing migratory birds to altered magnetic fields simulating geographical displacements have shown that the geomagnetic field acts as an external cue affecting migratory fuelling behaviour. This is the first study investigating fuel deposition in relation to geomagnetic cues in long-distance migrants using the western passage of the Mediterranean region. Juvenile wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) were exposed to a magnetically simulated autumn migration from southern Sweden to West Africa. Birds displaced parallel to the west of their natural migration route, simulating an unnatural flight over the Atlantic Ocean, increased their fuel deposition compared to birds experiencing a simulated migration along the natural route. These birds, on the other hand, showed relatively low fuel loads in agreement with earlier data on wheatears trapped during stopover. The experimental displacement to the west, corresponding to novel sites in the Atlantic Ocean, led to a simulated longer distance to the wintering area, probably explaining the observed larger fuel loads. Our data verify previous results suggesting that migratory birds use geomagnetic cues for fuelling decisions and, for the first time, show that birds, on their first migration, can use geomagnetic cues to compensate for a displacement outside their normal migratory route, by adjusting fuel deposition. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Wheatear, Magnetic displacement, Fuelling, Bird migration, Migration programmes, Geomagnetic cues
in
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
volume
64
issue
11
pages
1725 - 1732
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000282823800002
  • scopus:77957974148
ISSN
1432-0762
DOI
10.1007/s00265-010-0985-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dfa1355a-9ba7-44b6-8b55-691424a1d439 (old id 1726238)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:04:05
date last changed
2024-05-09 01:46:38
@article{dfa1355a-9ba7-44b6-8b55-691424a1d439,
  abstract     = {{Recent experiments exposing migratory birds to altered magnetic fields simulating geographical displacements have shown that the geomagnetic field acts as an external cue affecting migratory fuelling behaviour. This is the first study investigating fuel deposition in relation to geomagnetic cues in long-distance migrants using the western passage of the Mediterranean region. Juvenile wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) were exposed to a magnetically simulated autumn migration from southern Sweden to West Africa. Birds displaced parallel to the west of their natural migration route, simulating an unnatural flight over the Atlantic Ocean, increased their fuel deposition compared to birds experiencing a simulated migration along the natural route. These birds, on the other hand, showed relatively low fuel loads in agreement with earlier data on wheatears trapped during stopover. The experimental displacement to the west, corresponding to novel sites in the Atlantic Ocean, led to a simulated longer distance to the wintering area, probably explaining the observed larger fuel loads. Our data verify previous results suggesting that migratory birds use geomagnetic cues for fuelling decisions and, for the first time, show that birds, on their first migration, can use geomagnetic cues to compensate for a displacement outside their normal migratory route, by adjusting fuel deposition.}},
  author       = {{Boström, Jannika and Fransson, Thord and Henshaw, Ian and Jakobsson, Sven and Kullberg, Cecilia and Åkesson, Susanne}},
  issn         = {{1432-0762}},
  keywords     = {{Wheatear; Magnetic displacement; Fuelling; Bird migration; Migration programmes; Geomagnetic cues}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{1725--1732}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology}},
  title        = {{Autumn migratory fuelling: a response to simulated magnetic displacements in juvenile wheatears, Oenanthe oenanthe}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-010-0985-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00265-010-0985-1}},
  volume       = {{64}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}