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Seasonal patterns and processes of migration in a long-distance migratory bird : Energy or time minimization?

Hedenström, Anders LU and Hedh, Linus LU (2024) In Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 291(2024).
Abstract

Optimal migration theory prescribes adaptive strategies of energy, time or mortality minimization. To test alternative hypotheses of energy- and time-minimization migration we used multisensory data loggers that record time-resolved flight activity and light for positioning by geolocation in a long-distance migratory shorebird, the little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius. We could reject the hypothesis of energy minimization based on a relationship between stopover duration and subsequent flight time as predicted for a time minimizer. We found seasonally diverging slopes between stopover and flight durations in relation to the progress (time) of migration, which follows a time-minimizing policy if resource gradients along the migration... (More)

Optimal migration theory prescribes adaptive strategies of energy, time or mortality minimization. To test alternative hypotheses of energy- and time-minimization migration we used multisensory data loggers that record time-resolved flight activity and light for positioning by geolocation in a long-distance migratory shorebird, the little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius. We could reject the hypothesis of energy minimization based on a relationship between stopover duration and subsequent flight time as predicted for a time minimizer. We found seasonally diverging slopes between stopover and flight durations in relation to the progress (time) of migration, which follows a time-minimizing policy if resource gradients along the migration route increase in autumn and decrease in spring. Total flight duration did not differ significantly between autumn and spring migration, although spring migration was 6% shorter. Overall duration of autumn migration was longer than that in spring, mainly owing to a mid-migration stop in most birds, when they likely initiated moult. Overall migration speed was significantly different between autumn and spring. Migratory flights often occurred as runs of two to seven nocturnal flights on adjacent days, which may be countering a time-minimization strategy. Other factors may influence a preference for nocturnal migration, such as avoiding flight in turbulent conditions, heat stress and diurnal predators.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
accelerometery, bird migration, flight, migration strategy, stopover, time minimization
in
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
volume
291
issue
2024
article number
20240624
publisher
Royal Society Publishing
external identifiers
  • pmid:38835274
  • scopus:85195251906
ISSN
0962-8452
DOI
10.1098/rspb.2024.0624
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
995a3686-6a4b-45dc-becd-74bbae2a5851
date added to LUP
2024-08-14 14:13:30
date last changed
2024-08-14 14:14:17
@article{995a3686-6a4b-45dc-becd-74bbae2a5851,
  abstract     = {{<p>Optimal migration theory prescribes adaptive strategies of energy, time or mortality minimization. To test alternative hypotheses of energy- and time-minimization migration we used multisensory data loggers that record time-resolved flight activity and light for positioning by geolocation in a long-distance migratory shorebird, the little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius. We could reject the hypothesis of energy minimization based on a relationship between stopover duration and subsequent flight time as predicted for a time minimizer. We found seasonally diverging slopes between stopover and flight durations in relation to the progress (time) of migration, which follows a time-minimizing policy if resource gradients along the migration route increase in autumn and decrease in spring. Total flight duration did not differ significantly between autumn and spring migration, although spring migration was 6% shorter. Overall duration of autumn migration was longer than that in spring, mainly owing to a mid-migration stop in most birds, when they likely initiated moult. Overall migration speed was significantly different between autumn and spring. Migratory flights often occurred as runs of two to seven nocturnal flights on adjacent days, which may be countering a time-minimization strategy. Other factors may influence a preference for nocturnal migration, such as avoiding flight in turbulent conditions, heat stress and diurnal predators.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hedenström, Anders and Hedh, Linus}},
  issn         = {{0962-8452}},
  keywords     = {{accelerometery; bird migration; flight; migration strategy; stopover; time minimization}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{2024}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society Publishing}},
  series       = {{Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}},
  title        = {{Seasonal patterns and processes of migration in a long-distance migratory bird : Energy or time minimization?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.0624}},
  doi          = {{10.1098/rspb.2024.0624}},
  volume       = {{291}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}