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Differential responses to photoperiod in juveniles of two migratory songbird species

D'Autilia, Clara ; Bianco, Giuseppe LU orcid and Åkesson, Susanne LU orcid (2026) In The Journal of experimental biology 229(14).
Abstract

Songbirds rely on an endogenous programme encoding spatio-temporal information necessary for naive individuals to perform their first migration. Timing programmes are generated by endogenous clocks and include responses to external cues, with photoperiod being the most important. Photoperiod can advance or delay the circannual cycle and, while it is well established as a trigger for initiating migration, it remains uncertain whether birds continue to integrate photoperiod into their programme during migration. This study investigated whether two passerine species incorporate photoperiod in their endogenous programmes during autumn migration. Photoperiod manipulation experiments were conducted on hatch-year individuals of European robin... (More)

Songbirds rely on an endogenous programme encoding spatio-temporal information necessary for naive individuals to perform their first migration. Timing programmes are generated by endogenous clocks and include responses to external cues, with photoperiod being the most important. Photoperiod can advance or delay the circannual cycle and, while it is well established as a trigger for initiating migration, it remains uncertain whether birds continue to integrate photoperiod into their programme during migration. This study investigated whether two passerine species incorporate photoperiod in their endogenous programmes during autumn migration. Photoperiod manipulation experiments were conducted on hatch-year individuals of European robin (Erithacus rubecula; short-to-medium distance migrant) and garden warbler (Sylvia borin; long-distance migrant), monitoring their migratory activity and fuelling. The two species responded differently to the treatment, possibly due to different migratory distances, though effects of stage-appropriate responses cannot be excluded. European robins were partially sensitive to photoperiodic cues regarding their migratory activity. Their fuelling was, however, unaffected by photic treatment. Garden warblers showed little sensitivity to photoperiod, suggesting perhaps a stronger reliance on other external cues during migration. Garden warblers, furthermore, exhibited an exceptionally high fuelling rate, compared with other species previously studied, probably an adaptation to their time-constrained, long trans-equatorial migration. The results suggest that different components of the migratory phenotype can be controlled by different cues, with species-specific differences in the response. Understanding how migratory timing programmes interact with environmental cues in various migration phases is crucial, especially as anthropogenic processes rapidly alter photic environments, risking threatening migratory birds.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Animals, Photoperiod, Animal Migration/physiology, Songbirds/physiology, Seasons, Species Specificity, Cues
in
The Journal of experimental biology
volume
229
issue
14
publisher
The Company of Biologists Ltd
external identifiers
  • pmid:42366994
  • scopus:105045537948
ISSN
1477-9145
DOI
10.1242/jeb.252259
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2026. Published by The Company of Biologists.
id
46cb90cc-2f79-4195-84cb-30066c25995f
date added to LUP
2026-07-27 12:36:17
date last changed
2026-09-11 05:50:15
@article{46cb90cc-2f79-4195-84cb-30066c25995f,
  abstract     = {{<p>Songbirds rely on an endogenous programme encoding spatio-temporal information necessary for naive individuals to perform their first migration. Timing programmes are generated by endogenous clocks and include responses to external cues, with photoperiod being the most important. Photoperiod can advance or delay the circannual cycle and, while it is well established as a trigger for initiating migration, it remains uncertain whether birds continue to integrate photoperiod into their programme during migration. This study investigated whether two passerine species incorporate photoperiod in their endogenous programmes during autumn migration. Photoperiod manipulation experiments were conducted on hatch-year individuals of European robin (Erithacus rubecula; short-to-medium distance migrant) and garden warbler (Sylvia borin; long-distance migrant), monitoring their migratory activity and fuelling. The two species responded differently to the treatment, possibly due to different migratory distances, though effects of stage-appropriate responses cannot be excluded. European robins were partially sensitive to photoperiodic cues regarding their migratory activity. Their fuelling was, however, unaffected by photic treatment. Garden warblers showed little sensitivity to photoperiod, suggesting perhaps a stronger reliance on other external cues during migration. Garden warblers, furthermore, exhibited an exceptionally high fuelling rate, compared with other species previously studied, probably an adaptation to their time-constrained, long trans-equatorial migration. The results suggest that different components of the migratory phenotype can be controlled by different cues, with species-specific differences in the response. Understanding how migratory timing programmes interact with environmental cues in various migration phases is crucial, especially as anthropogenic processes rapidly alter photic environments, risking threatening migratory birds.</p>}},
  author       = {{D'Autilia, Clara and Bianco, Giuseppe and Åkesson, Susanne}},
  issn         = {{1477-9145}},
  keywords     = {{Animals; Photoperiod; Animal Migration/physiology; Songbirds/physiology; Seasons; Species Specificity; Cues}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{14}},
  publisher    = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
  series       = {{The Journal of experimental biology}},
  title        = {{Differential responses to photoperiod in juveniles of two migratory songbird species}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.252259}},
  doi          = {{10.1242/jeb.252259}},
  volume       = {{229}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}