Endogenous control of migratory behavior in Alaskan Northern Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe
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SHORT NOTE
Endogenous control of migratory behavior in Alaskan Northern Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe Marc Bulte • Franz Bairlein
Received: 19 June 2012 / Revised: 16 November 2012 / Accepted: 27 November 2012 Ó Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V. 2012
Abstract We tested endogenous migratory fuelling and nocturnal migratory restlessness in juvenile Northern Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) from Alaska kept in captivity indoors. The birds showed a spontaneous seasonal, and biologically relevant, pattern of body mass development and nocturnal migratory restlessness. These data were compared to similar data of Northern Wheatears from Iceland. The Alaskan birds showed much higher restlessness but lower fuelling, which is consistent with their much longer journey but different ecological encounters. Keywords Bird migration Body mass development Endogenous program Nocturnal migratory restlessness Northern Wheatear Zusammenfassung Endogene Kontrolle des Zugverhaltens bei Steinschma¨tzern Oenanthe oenanthe aus Alaska
Wir untersuchten zugzeitliche Fettdeposition und Zugunruhe bei jungen Steinschma¨tzern (Oenanthe oenanthe) aus Alaska in kontrollierter Haltung. Die Vo¨gel zeigten spontane und biologisch relevante saisonale Muster an Ko¨rpermassezunahme und na¨chtlicher Zugaktivita¨t. Wir verglichen diese Muster mit denen von Vo¨geln aus Island. Die Vo¨gel aus Alaska zeigten weit mehr Zugunruhe aber ein geringeres Ausmaß an Fettdeposition. Dies Communicated by H. Mouritsen. M. Bulte (&) F. Bairlein Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany e-mail: [email protected]
korrespondiert mit ihrem zwar viel la¨ngeren Zugweg, der aber keine gro¨ßeren o¨kologischen Barrieren aufweist.
Introduction Northern Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) breeding in Alaska are the true champions among migratory songbirds, traveling for 14,500 km across Asia and the Arabian peninsula to winter in eastern Africa (Bairlein et al. 2012). Whether their migratory behavior has an innate basis is the subject of this short report. Several studies already revealed that migratory activity (migratory restlessness) and migratory fuelling may be governed by an innate circannual rhythm (Gwinner 1968, 1986; Berthold 1996; Piersma 2002). However, not much is known about population-specific migration traits in long-distance migrants, except in Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) (Berthold and Querner 1981). A species very well suited for such studies is the Northern Wheatear, a widespread Holarctic songbird, in which different populations face markedly different challenges during their migration (Conder 1989). The Northern Wheatear breeds from northeastern Canada across Europe and Asia into Alaska and extreme northwestern Canada. All populations winter in northern sub-Saharan Africa (Keith et al. 1996). Consequently, the different populations differ with respect to migration distance, migration direction, and the ecological obstacles they face during migration. As described by Maggini and Bairlein (2010), Northern Whea
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