Dataset Information

Desert crossing strategies of migrant songbirds vary between and within species.

ABSTRACT: Each year, billions of songbirds cross large ecological barriers during their migration. Understanding how they perform this incredible task is crucial to predict how global change may threaten the safety of such journeys. Earlier studies based on radar suggested that most songbirds cross deserts in intermittent flights at high altitude, stopping in the desert during the day, while recent tracking with light loggers suggested diurnal prolongation of nocturnal flights and common non-stop flights for some species. We analyzed light intensity and temperature data obtained from geolocation loggers deployed on 130 individuals of ten migratory songbird species, and show that a large variety of strategies for crossing deserts exists between, but also sometimes within species. Diurnal stopover in the desert is a common strategy in autumn, while most species prolonged some nocturnal flights into the day. Non-stop flights over the desert occurred more frequently in spring than in autumn, and more frequently in foliage gleaners. Temperature recordings suggest that songbirds crossed deserts with flight bouts performed at various altitudes according to species and season, along a gradient ranging from low above ground in autumn to probably >2000 m above ground level, and possibly at higher altitude in spring. High-altitude flights are therefore not the general rule for crossing deserts in migrant songbirds. We conclude that a diversity of migration strategies exists for desert crossing among songbirds, with variations between but also within species.

SUBMITTER: Jiguet F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6934701 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Desert crossing strategies of migrant songbirds vary between and within species.

Jiguet Frédéric F Burgess Malcolm M Thorup Kasper K Conway Greg G Arroyo Matos José Luis JL Barber Lee L Black John J Burton Niall N Castelló Joan J Clewley Gary G Copete José Luis JL Czajkowski Michel Alexandre MA Dale Svein S Davis Tony T Dombrovski Valery V Drew Mike M Elts Jaanus J Gilson Vicky V Grzegorczyk Emilienne E Henderson Ian I Holdsworth Michael M Husbands Rob R Lorrilliere Romain R Marja Riho R Minkevicius Simonas S Moussy Caroline C Olsson Peter P Onrubia Alejandro A Pérez Marc M Piacentini Joseph J Piha Markus M Pons Jean-Marc JM Procházka Petr P Raković Marko M Robins Harriet H Seimola Tuomas T Selstam Gunnar G Skierczyński Michał M Sondell Jan J Thibault Jean-Claude JC Tøttrup Anders P AP Walker Justin J Hewson Chris C

Scientific reports 20191227 1

Each year, billions of songbirds cross large ecological barriers during their migration. Understanding how they perform this incredible task is crucial to predict how global change may threaten the safety of such journeys. Earlier studies based on radar suggested that most songbirds cross deserts in intermittent flights at high altitude, stopping in the desert during the day, while recent tracking with light loggers suggested diurnal prolongation of nocturnal flights and common non-stop flights ...[more]

PMID: 31882957

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Dataset Information

Desert crossing strategies of migrant songbirds vary between and within species.

Publications

Desert crossing strategies of migrant songbirds vary between and within species.

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