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Differences in Speed and Duration of Bird Migration between Spring and Autumn.

Nilsson, Cecilia LU orcid ; Klaassen, Raymond LU and Alerstam, Thomas LU (2013) In American Naturalist 181(6). p.837-845
Abstract
Abstract It has been suggested that birds migrate faster in spring than in autumn because of competition for arrival order at breeding grounds and environmental factors such as increased daylight. Investigating spring and autumn migration performances is important for understanding ecological and evolutionary constraints in the timing and speed of migration. We compiled measurements from tracking studies and found a consistent predominance of cases showing higher speeds and shorter durations during spring compared to autumn, in terms of flight speeds (airspeed, ground speed, daily travel speed), stopover duration, and total speed and duration of migration. Seasonal differences in flight speeds were generally smaller than those in stopover... (More)
Abstract It has been suggested that birds migrate faster in spring than in autumn because of competition for arrival order at breeding grounds and environmental factors such as increased daylight. Investigating spring and autumn migration performances is important for understanding ecological and evolutionary constraints in the timing and speed of migration. We compiled measurements from tracking studies and found a consistent predominance of cases showing higher speeds and shorter durations during spring compared to autumn, in terms of flight speeds (airspeed, ground speed, daily travel speed), stopover duration, and total speed and duration of migration. Seasonal differences in flight speeds were generally smaller than those in stopover durations and total speed/duration of migration, indicating that rates of foraging and fuel deposition were more important than flight speed in accounting for differences in overall migration performance. Still, the seasonal differences in flight speeds provide important support for time selection in spring migration. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
bird migration speed, duration of migration, flight speed, stopover, optimal migration, timing of migration
in
American Naturalist
volume
181
issue
6
pages
837 - 845
publisher
University of Chicago Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000318996500012
  • pmid:23669545
  • scopus:84877781918
ISSN
0003-0147
DOI
10.1086/670335
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
00718928-b5e8-4331-9f59-51d40281b616 (old id 3804498)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:40:38
date last changed
2022-05-06 00:03:51
@article{00718928-b5e8-4331-9f59-51d40281b616,
  abstract     = {{Abstract It has been suggested that birds migrate faster in spring than in autumn because of competition for arrival order at breeding grounds and environmental factors such as increased daylight. Investigating spring and autumn migration performances is important for understanding ecological and evolutionary constraints in the timing and speed of migration. We compiled measurements from tracking studies and found a consistent predominance of cases showing higher speeds and shorter durations during spring compared to autumn, in terms of flight speeds (airspeed, ground speed, daily travel speed), stopover duration, and total speed and duration of migration. Seasonal differences in flight speeds were generally smaller than those in stopover durations and total speed/duration of migration, indicating that rates of foraging and fuel deposition were more important than flight speed in accounting for differences in overall migration performance. Still, the seasonal differences in flight speeds provide important support for time selection in spring migration.}},
  author       = {{Nilsson, Cecilia and Klaassen, Raymond and Alerstam, Thomas}},
  issn         = {{0003-0147}},
  keywords     = {{bird migration speed; duration of migration; flight speed; stopover; optimal migration; timing of migration}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{837--845}},
  publisher    = {{University of Chicago Press}},
  series       = {{American Naturalist}},
  title        = {{Differences in Speed and Duration of Bird Migration between Spring and Autumn.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/670335}},
  doi          = {{10.1086/670335}},
  volume       = {{181}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}