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Small changes in timing of breeding among subarctic passerines over a 32-year period

Ram, Dafne LU ; Nyholm, Nils Erik Ingemar ; Arlt, Debora and Lindström, Åke LU orcid (2019) In Ibis 161(4). p.730-743
Abstract

Many bird populations in temperate regions have advanced their timing of breeding in response to a warming climate in recent decades. However, long-term trends in temperature differ geographically and between seasons, and so do responses of local breeding populations. Data on breeding bird phenology from subarctic and arctic passerine populations are scarce, and relatively little data has been recorded in open-nesting species. We investigated the timing of breeding and its relationship to spring temperature of 14 mainly open-nesting passerine species in subarctic Swedish Lapland over a period of 32 years (1984–2015). We estimated timing of breeding from the progress of post-juvenile moult in mist-netted birds, a new method exploring the... (More)

Many bird populations in temperate regions have advanced their timing of breeding in response to a warming climate in recent decades. However, long-term trends in temperature differ geographically and between seasons, and so do responses of local breeding populations. Data on breeding bird phenology from subarctic and arctic passerine populations are scarce, and relatively little data has been recorded in open-nesting species. We investigated the timing of breeding and its relationship to spring temperature of 14 mainly open-nesting passerine species in subarctic Swedish Lapland over a period of 32 years (1984–2015). We estimated timing of breeding from the progress of post-juvenile moult in mist-netted birds, a new method exploring the fact that the progress of post-juvenile moult correlates with age. Although there was a numerical tendency for earlier breeding in most species (on average −0.09 days/year), changes were statistically significant in only three species (by −0.16 to −0.23 days/year). These figures are relatively low compared with what has been found in other long-term studies but are similar to a few other studies in subarctic areas. Generally, annual hatching dates were negatively correlated with mean temperature in May. This correlation was stronger in long-distance than in short-distance migrants. Although annual temperatures at high northern latitudes have increased over recent decades, there was no long-term increase in mean temperature in May over the study period at this subarctic site. This is probably the main reason why there were only small long-term changes in hatching dates.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
climate change, hatching date, long-term study, phenology, post-juvenile moult
in
Ibis
volume
161
issue
4
pages
730 - 743
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85057783840
ISSN
0019-1019
DOI
10.1111/ibi.12682
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
09d2c325-9bad-493a-8d06-52f1bd857dec
date added to LUP
2019-01-07 13:49:39
date last changed
2024-03-02 16:25:53
@article{09d2c325-9bad-493a-8d06-52f1bd857dec,
  abstract     = {{<p>Many bird populations in temperate regions have advanced their timing of breeding in response to a warming climate in recent decades. However, long-term trends in temperature differ geographically and between seasons, and so do responses of local breeding populations. Data on breeding bird phenology from subarctic and arctic passerine populations are scarce, and relatively little data has been recorded in open-nesting species. We investigated the timing of breeding and its relationship to spring temperature of 14 mainly open-nesting passerine species in subarctic Swedish Lapland over a period of 32 years (1984–2015). We estimated timing of breeding from the progress of post-juvenile moult in mist-netted birds, a new method exploring the fact that the progress of post-juvenile moult correlates with age. Although there was a numerical tendency for earlier breeding in most species (on average −0.09 days/year), changes were statistically significant in only three species (by −0.16 to −0.23 days/year). These figures are relatively low compared with what has been found in other long-term studies but are similar to a few other studies in subarctic areas. Generally, annual hatching dates were negatively correlated with mean temperature in May. This correlation was stronger in long-distance than in short-distance migrants. Although annual temperatures at high northern latitudes have increased over recent decades, there was no long-term increase in mean temperature in May over the study period at this subarctic site. This is probably the main reason why there were only small long-term changes in hatching dates.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ram, Dafne and Nyholm, Nils Erik Ingemar and Arlt, Debora and Lindström, Åke}},
  issn         = {{0019-1019}},
  keywords     = {{climate change; hatching date; long-term study; phenology; post-juvenile moult}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{730--743}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Ibis}},
  title        = {{Small changes in timing of breeding among subarctic passerines over a 32-year period}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12682}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/ibi.12682}},
  volume       = {{161}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}