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Perceived wintering latitude determines timing of song output in a migratory bird
- Source :
- Ecology and Evolution, Ecology and Evolution, Vol 10, Iss 2, Pp 748-755 (2020)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2019.
-
Abstract
- Migratory bird populations frequently consist of individuals that overwinter variable distances from the breeding site. Seasonal changes in photoperiod, which varies with latitude, underlie seasonal changes in singing frequency in birds. Therefore, migratory populations that consist of individuals that overwinter at different latitudes with large overwintering ranges could experience within‐population variation in seasonal production of song. To test the influence of overwintering latitude on intrapopulation variance in song production in the spring, we subjected two groups of Eastern Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia melodia) from the same partially migratory breeding population to different photoperiodic schedules associated with a 1,300‐km difference in overwintering location. One group remained on the natural photoperiodic schedule of the breeding site (resident group) while the other group experienced a nonbreeding photoperiod that mimicked a southern migration in the fall followed by a northern migration back to the breeding site in the spring (migratory group). We compared song output between the two groups in three different stages (nonbreeding, prebreeding, and breeding). Little singing occurred during nonbreeding stage sample dates (20 November, 6 December) for the resident group, and no singing occurred for the migrant group. During the prebreeding stage (27 January, 7 February), significantly more singing occurred in the resident group than in the migrant group. During the breeding stage (21 March, 4 April), after a simulated migration for the migrants, song output was similar in both groups. These results suggest that within‐population variation in wintering latitude may contribute to variation in seasonal changes in singing behavior, which may covary with readiness to breed. Studies utilizing confirmed migrants and residents, rather than merely simulated migrants and residents, are also needed to better understand these processes.<br />Migratory bird populations often consist of individuals that overwinter at different distances from a common breeding site. In the laboratory, we compared singing behavior between two groups of birds (one “migratory” and one “resident”) that we subjected to natural photoperiods of Tampa, Florida, and Bloomington, Indiana, respectively. We found that the residents sang more during the prebreeding stage, but after a simulated spring migration, song output in the two groups was the same.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
birdsong
Population
Zoology
Biology
photoperiod
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Latitude
03 medical and health sciences
timing
education
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Overwintering
QH540-549.5
030304 developmental biology
Nature and Landscape Conservation
Original Research
photoperiodism
0303 health sciences
education.field_of_study
partial migration
Ecology
Breed
Melospiza melodia melodia
connectivity
behavior and behavior mechanisms
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20457758
- Volume :
- 10
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Ecology and Evolution
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....fa346bb582bfed0bfa4b4bad96777c03