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Autumn orientation behaviour of paddyfield warblers, Acrocephalus agricola, from a recently expanded breeding range on the western Black Sea coast

Zehtindjiev, Pavel ; Ilieva, Mihaela and Åkesson, Susanne LU (2010) In Behavioural Processes 85(2). p.167-171
Abstract
The paddyfield warbler, Acrocephalus agricola, has extended its breeding range from Central Asia to the western Black Sea coast. The Balkan population offers a unique chance to test the effect of breeding range expansion on the genetically programmed migratory direction. We studied 21 paddyfield warblers at Durankulak Lake, NE Bulgaria, by recording their autumn migratory orientation in circular orientation cages. Our data show that the preferred migratory orientation is directed along a NE-SW axis. Paddyfield warblers seem to avoid direct crossing of the Black Sea by following the western coast. The mean bearing was parallel to the nearest coastline and corresponds to the direction of the historical breeding range expansion of the... (More)
The paddyfield warbler, Acrocephalus agricola, has extended its breeding range from Central Asia to the western Black Sea coast. The Balkan population offers a unique chance to test the effect of breeding range expansion on the genetically programmed migratory direction. We studied 21 paddyfield warblers at Durankulak Lake, NE Bulgaria, by recording their autumn migratory orientation in circular orientation cages. Our data show that the preferred migratory orientation is directed along a NE-SW axis. Paddyfield warblers seem to avoid direct crossing of the Black Sea by following the western coast. The mean bearing was parallel to the nearest coastline and corresponds to the direction of the historical breeding range expansion of the species. In our experiment many individuals showed south-western orientation in autumn, a course which would potentially lead the birds to exploratory movements outside the current breeding range. An axial orientation response has been often shown in circular cage tests, and can be due to factors such as coastal orientation or reverse orientation triggered by the physiological condition of some individuals. However, it might also be one of the driving mechanisms for range expansion. Hence, we can expect the future expansion of Balkan paddyfield warblers to continue towards south-west. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
migration program, Genetic, Detour migration, Balkan Peninsula, Breeding range expansion, Passerine bird, Topography
in
Behavioural Processes
volume
85
issue
2
pages
167 - 171
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000282121400012
  • scopus:77956174338
  • pmid:20637271
ISSN
0376-6357
DOI
10.1016/j.beproc.2010.07.003
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d9c6addb-d3be-436e-b395-5956ca5255dc (old id 1696063)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:48:52
date last changed
2022-04-19 19:51:22
@article{d9c6addb-d3be-436e-b395-5956ca5255dc,
  abstract     = {{The paddyfield warbler, Acrocephalus agricola, has extended its breeding range from Central Asia to the western Black Sea coast. The Balkan population offers a unique chance to test the effect of breeding range expansion on the genetically programmed migratory direction. We studied 21 paddyfield warblers at Durankulak Lake, NE Bulgaria, by recording their autumn migratory orientation in circular orientation cages. Our data show that the preferred migratory orientation is directed along a NE-SW axis. Paddyfield warblers seem to avoid direct crossing of the Black Sea by following the western coast. The mean bearing was parallel to the nearest coastline and corresponds to the direction of the historical breeding range expansion of the species. In our experiment many individuals showed south-western orientation in autumn, a course which would potentially lead the birds to exploratory movements outside the current breeding range. An axial orientation response has been often shown in circular cage tests, and can be due to factors such as coastal orientation or reverse orientation triggered by the physiological condition of some individuals. However, it might also be one of the driving mechanisms for range expansion. Hence, we can expect the future expansion of Balkan paddyfield warblers to continue towards south-west. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Zehtindjiev, Pavel and Ilieva, Mihaela and Åkesson, Susanne}},
  issn         = {{0376-6357}},
  keywords     = {{migration program; Genetic; Detour migration; Balkan Peninsula; Breeding range expansion; Passerine bird; Topography}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{167--171}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Behavioural Processes}},
  title        = {{Autumn orientation behaviour of paddyfield warblers, Acrocephalus agricola, from a recently expanded breeding range on the western Black Sea coast}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2010.07.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.beproc.2010.07.003}},
  volume       = {{85}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}