Winter rainfall predicts phenology in widely separated populations of a migrant songbird

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dc.contributor.authorMcKellar, Ann E.
dc.contributor.authorMarra, Peter P.
dc.contributor.authorHannon, Susan J.
dc.contributor.authorStudds, Colin E.
dc.contributor.authorRatcliffe, Laurene M.
dc.date.accessioned2019-03-13T14:00:20Z
dc.date.available2019-03-13T14:00:20Z
dc.date.issued2012-11-17
dc.description.abstractClimate change is affecting behaviour and phenology in many animals. In migratory birds, weather patterns both at breeding and at non-breeding sites can influence the timing of spring migration and breeding. However, variation in responses to weather across a species range has rarely been studied, particularly among populations that may winter in different locations. We used prior knowledge of migratory connectivity to test the influence of weather from predicted non-breeding sites on bird phenology in two breeding populations of a long-distance migratory bird species separated by 3,000 km. We found that winter rainfall showed similar associations with arrival and egg-laying dates in separate breeding populations on an east–west axis: greater rainfall in Jamaica and eastern Mexico was generally associated with advanced American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) phenology in Ontario and Alberta, respectively. In Ontario, these patterns of response could largely be explained by changes in the behaviour of individual birds, i.e., phenotypic plasticity. By explicitly incorporating migratory connectivity into responses to climate, our data suggest that widely separated breeding populations can show independent and geographically specific associations with changing weather conditions. The tendency of individuals to delay migration and breeding following dry winters could result in population declines due to predicted drying trends in tropical areas and the tight linkage between early arrival/breeding and reproductive success in long-distance migrants.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipFunding was provided by Queen’s University, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, the Ontario Innovation Trust, Sigma Xi, the American Ornithologists’ Union, the Society of Canadian Ornithologists, and the American Museum of Natural History. Procedures were performed in accordance with permits from the Queen’s University Animal Care Committee (Ratcliffe-2010-009) and the Canadian Wildlife Services (banding permit 10771E and collection permit CA0233). All methods used in this study comply with current laws of the country in which they were performed.en_US
dc.description.urihttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00442-012-2520-8en_US
dc.format.extent11 pagesen_US
dc.genrejournal articlesen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m2eduo-airp
dc.identifier.citationMcKellar, A.E., Marra, P.P., Hannon, S.J. et al. Oecologia (2013) 172: 595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-012-2520-8en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-012-2520-8
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/13023
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherSpringer-Verlagen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Geography and Environmental Systems Department
dc.rightsThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.
dc.rightsThis work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.*
dc.rightsPublic Domain Mark 1.0
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/*
dc.subjectAmerican redstarten_US
dc.subjectclimate changeen_US
dc.subjectmigrationen_US
dc.subjectmigratory connectivityen_US
dc.subjectSetophaga ruticillaen_US
dc.titleWinter rainfall predicts phenology in widely separated populations of a migrant songbirden_US
dc.typeTexten_US

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