Flexible navigation response in common cuckoos Cuculus canorus displaced experimentally during migration
(2015) In Scientific Reports 5.- Abstract
Migrating birds follow innate species-specific migration programs capable of guiding them along complex spatio-temporal routes, which may include several separate staging areas. Indeed, migration routes of common cuckoos Cuculus canorus show little variation between individuals; yet, satellite tracks of 11 experimentally displaced adults revealed an unexpected flexibility in individual navigation responses. The birds compensated for the translocation to unfamiliar areas by travelling toward population-specific staging areas, demonstrating true navigation capabilities. Individual responses varied from travelling toward the first stopover in northern Europe to flying toward the Central-African winter grounds, the latter including several... (More)
Migrating birds follow innate species-specific migration programs capable of guiding them along complex spatio-temporal routes, which may include several separate staging areas. Indeed, migration routes of common cuckoos Cuculus canorus show little variation between individuals; yet, satellite tracks of 11 experimentally displaced adults revealed an unexpected flexibility in individual navigation responses. The birds compensated for the translocation to unfamiliar areas by travelling toward population-specific staging areas, demonstrating true navigation capabilities. Individual responses varied from travelling toward the first stopover in northern Europe to flying toward the Central-African winter grounds, the latter including several stopovers in unfamiliar areas. Apparently, the cuckoos possess spatial knowledge far beyond their population-specific flyway scale, and make individual decisions likely based on an assessment of perceived gain and cost of alternative route options.
(Less)
- author
- Willemoes, Mikkel LU ; Blas, Julio ; Wikelski, Martin and Thorup, Kasper
- publishing date
- 2015-11-09
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Animal Migration, Animals, Birds, Geography, Seasons, Spatial Navigation
- in
- Scientific Reports
- volume
- 5
- article number
- 5:16402
- pages
- 5 pages
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:26549318
- scopus:84946866321
- ISSN
- 2045-2322
- DOI
- 10.1038/srep16402
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- b148244b-c3c9-4833-a689-324727231786
- date added to LUP
- 2017-03-09 11:27:45
- date last changed
- 2024-06-24 17:12:04
@article{b148244b-c3c9-4833-a689-324727231786,
abstract = {{<p>Migrating birds follow innate species-specific migration programs capable of guiding them along complex spatio-temporal routes, which may include several separate staging areas. Indeed, migration routes of common cuckoos Cuculus canorus show little variation between individuals; yet, satellite tracks of 11 experimentally displaced adults revealed an unexpected flexibility in individual navigation responses. The birds compensated for the translocation to unfamiliar areas by travelling toward population-specific staging areas, demonstrating true navigation capabilities. Individual responses varied from travelling toward the first stopover in northern Europe to flying toward the Central-African winter grounds, the latter including several stopovers in unfamiliar areas. Apparently, the cuckoos possess spatial knowledge far beyond their population-specific flyway scale, and make individual decisions likely based on an assessment of perceived gain and cost of alternative route options.</p>}},
author = {{Willemoes, Mikkel and Blas, Julio and Wikelski, Martin and Thorup, Kasper}},
issn = {{2045-2322}},
keywords = {{Animal Migration; Animals; Birds; Geography; Seasons; Spatial Navigation}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{11}},
publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
series = {{Scientific Reports}},
title = {{Flexible navigation response in common cuckoos Cuculus canorus displaced experimentally during migration}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep16402}},
doi = {{10.1038/srep16402}},
volume = {{5}},
year = {{2015}},
}