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Characterizing bird migration phenology using data from standardized monitoring at bird observatories

Knudsen, Endre ; Linden, Andreas ; Ergon, Torbjorn ; Jonzén, Niclas LU ; Vik, Jon Olav ; Knape, Jonas LU ; Roer, Jan Erik and Stenseth, Nils Chr. (2007) In Climate Research 35(1-2). p.59-77
Abstract
Long-term data from standardized monitoring programmes at bird observatories are becoming increasingly available. These data are frequently used for detecting changes in the timing of bird migration that may relate to recent climate change. We present an overview of problematic issues in the analysis of these data, and review approaches to and methods for characterizing bird migration phenology and its change over time. Methods are illustrated and briefly compared using autumn data on garden warbler Sylvia borin from a standardized mist-netting programme at Lista bird observatory, southern Norway. Bird migration phenology is usually characterized rather coarsely using a small number of sample statistics such as mean, median and selected... (More)
Long-term data from standardized monitoring programmes at bird observatories are becoming increasingly available. These data are frequently used for detecting changes in the timing of bird migration that may relate to recent climate change. We present an overview of problematic issues in the analysis of these data, and review approaches to and methods for characterizing bird migration phenology and its change over time. Methods are illustrated and briefly compared using autumn data on garden warbler Sylvia borin from a standardized mist-netting programme at Lista bird observatory, southern Norway. Bird migration phenology is usually characterized rather coarsely using a small number of sample statistics such as mean, median and selected quantiles. We present 2 alternative approaches. Smoothing methods describe the within-season pattern in the data at an arbitrary level of detail, while fitting a parametric seasonal distribution curve offers a coarse description of migration phenology relatively robust to sampling effects. Various methods for analyzing linear trends in the timing of bird migration are reviewed and discussed. Exploratory studies using long-term data gathered at bird observatories can yield more detailed insight into the phenomenon of bird migration and how phenologies relate to climate. Methodological advances are needed, particularly in order to better characterize the shape of phenological distributions and separate between sampling effects and 'true' phenology. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
seasonal model, smoothing, day-to-day variability, monitoring, bird observatories, bird migration phenology, climate change
in
Climate Research
volume
35
issue
1-2
pages
59 - 77
publisher
Inter-Research
external identifiers
  • wos:000252630400005
  • scopus:44249102156
ISSN
1616-1572
DOI
10.3354/cr00714
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a52c56c1-cb37-4fa3-8b58-0ea4dcb3fb8e (old id 1407622)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:55:51
date last changed
2022-03-28 17:44:45
@article{a52c56c1-cb37-4fa3-8b58-0ea4dcb3fb8e,
  abstract     = {{Long-term data from standardized monitoring programmes at bird observatories are becoming increasingly available. These data are frequently used for detecting changes in the timing of bird migration that may relate to recent climate change. We present an overview of problematic issues in the analysis of these data, and review approaches to and methods for characterizing bird migration phenology and its change over time. Methods are illustrated and briefly compared using autumn data on garden warbler Sylvia borin from a standardized mist-netting programme at Lista bird observatory, southern Norway. Bird migration phenology is usually characterized rather coarsely using a small number of sample statistics such as mean, median and selected quantiles. We present 2 alternative approaches. Smoothing methods describe the within-season pattern in the data at an arbitrary level of detail, while fitting a parametric seasonal distribution curve offers a coarse description of migration phenology relatively robust to sampling effects. Various methods for analyzing linear trends in the timing of bird migration are reviewed and discussed. Exploratory studies using long-term data gathered at bird observatories can yield more detailed insight into the phenomenon of bird migration and how phenologies relate to climate. Methodological advances are needed, particularly in order to better characterize the shape of phenological distributions and separate between sampling effects and 'true' phenology.}},
  author       = {{Knudsen, Endre and Linden, Andreas and Ergon, Torbjorn and Jonzén, Niclas and Vik, Jon Olav and Knape, Jonas and Roer, Jan Erik and Stenseth, Nils Chr.}},
  issn         = {{1616-1572}},
  keywords     = {{seasonal model; smoothing; day-to-day variability; monitoring; bird observatories; bird migration phenology; climate change}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{59--77}},
  publisher    = {{Inter-Research}},
  series       = {{Climate Research}},
  title        = {{Characterizing bird migration phenology using data from standardized monitoring at bird observatories}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/cr00714}},
  doi          = {{10.3354/cr00714}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}