Consistency in long-distance bird migration: Contrasting patterns in time and space for two raptors

• As the evolutionary responses to environmental change depend on selection acting on individual differences,disentangling within- and between-individual variation becomes imperative. In animalmigration research, multiyear tracks are thus needed to estimate the individual consistency of phenotypictraits. Avian telemetry studies have recently provided the first evidence of individuality acrossspace and time in animal migration. Here, we compare repeatability patterns of routes and timing betweentwo migratory birds, the marsh harrier, Circus aeruginosus, and the osprey, Pandion haliaetus, asrecorded by satellite tracking. We found interspecific contrasts with low repeatability in timing andduration and a high repeatability in routes for ospreys, but the reverse pattern for marsh harriers. Thiswas mainly caused by (1) larger between-individual variation in routes for ospreys (broad-frontmigration) than for marsh harriers (corridor migration) and a higher degree of repeated use of the samestopover sites among ospreys, and (2) higher within-individual consistency of timing and durationamong marsh harriers, while individual ospreys were more flexible. Our findings suggest that individualityin space and time is not a shared trait complex among migrants, but may show adaptivevariation depending on the species' life history and ecology.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Zoologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Zoology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Etologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Behavioural Sciences Biology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

bird migration

consistency

individual variation

marsh harrier

osprey

satellite telemetry

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)