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Light-level geolocators reveal covariation between winter plumage molt and phenology in a trans-Saharan migratory bird

  • Behavioral ecology - Original research
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Abstract

Contingent individual performance can depend on the environment experienced at previous life-stages. Migratory birds are especially susceptible to such carry-over effects as they periodically travel between breeding ranges and ‘wintering’ areas where they may experience broadly different ecological conditions. However, the study of carry-over effects is hampered by the difficulty of tracking vagile organisms throughout their annual life-cycle. Using information from light-level geolocators on the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), we tested if feather growth bar width (GBW), a proxy of feather growth rate which depends on individual condition, and wing isometric size and shape predict the phenology of subsequent migration. GBW did not predict duration of wintering but negatively predicted the duration of spring migration and arrival date to the breeding sites, suggesting that migration phenology is not constrained by molt, and individuals in prime condition achieve both faster molt and earlier arrival. Wing morphology did not predict migration duration, as expected if wing shape were optimized for foraging, rather than migration performance, in this aerially foraging, insectivorous bird. Thus, we showed for the first time that migration phenology in a long-distance migratory bird covaries with body condition during wintering, as reflected by the growth rate of feathers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Nicola Saino, Diego Rubolini, Maria Romano, Chiara Scandolara, Manuela Caprioli & Andrea Romano

  2. Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, p.zza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milan, Italy

    Roberto Ambrosini & Beatrice Sicurella

  3. Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland

    Chiara Scandolara & Felix Liechti

  4. Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada

    Graham D. Fairhurst

Authors
  1. Nicola Saino
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  2. Diego Rubolini
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  3. Roberto Ambrosini
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  4. Maria Romano
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  5. Chiara Scandolara
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  6. Graham D. Fairhurst
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  7. Manuela Caprioli
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  8. Andrea Romano
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  9. Beatrice Sicurella
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  10. Felix Liechti
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicola Saino.

Additional information

Communicated by Hannu Pöysä.

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Saino, N., Rubolini, D., Ambrosini, R. et al. Light-level geolocators reveal covariation between winter plumage molt and phenology in a trans-Saharan migratory bird. Oecologia 178, 1105–1112 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-015-3299-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-015-3299-1

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