Abstract
The decision by birds to stop or not (i.e. stopover decisions) during migration can affect their fitness and also the function of ecosystems, as well as, in a detrimental way, agricultural activities by grazing, trampling and nutrient translocation. We studied how temperature influences the stopover pattern of a large grazing waterfowl. Specifically, we compared the variation in the duration, start and end of the stopover period of Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus) with temperatures during the pre-arrival period at Lake Tysslingen in south-central Sweden during a 10-year period. The start day of the stopover period was negatively correlated to the mean temperature of the pre-arrival period. However, the temperature during the pre-arrival period did not explain the variation in the end of the stopover period. Furthermore, the duration of the stopover period was negatively correlated to the start but not to the end of the stopover period. This pattern follows observations that temperature is closely linked to food supply and availability of open water in other waterfowl. In the light of our findings, we conclude that an increased temperature will result in a spatial and temporal shift in the stopover pattern of Whooper Swans along the migration route, and in our specific case the birds will probably arrive earlier in spring and consequently stay longer within the studied area. Moreover, the prolonged stay at the stopover site will probably also result in increased grazing pressure and risk of damage to crops.
Zusammenfassung
Muster kurzer Zwischenstopps bei ziehenden Singschwänen ( Cygnus cygnus ) im Frühjahr: Temperatur als Vorhersage-Indikator über einen Zeitraum von zehn Jahren
Die Entscheidung, den Zug zu unterbrechen oder weiterzuziehen, kann die Fitness von Vögeln beeinflussen, aber auch das Funktionieren von Ökosystemen und, auf negative Weise, landwirtschaftliche Aktivitäten durch Grasen, Zertrampeln und Nährstoffverlagerungen. Wir untersuchten, wie die Temperatur das Muster von Zwischenstopps großer, grasenden Wasservögel beeinflusste. Konkret verglichen wir über einen Zeitraum von zehn Jahren die Variationen in Beginn, Dauer und Ende der Zugunterbrechungen von Singschwänen mit den Temperaturen, die in der Zeit vor den Unterbrechungen am Tysslingen-See in Südwest-Schweden herrschten. Der Tag des Zwischenstoppbeginns korrelierte negativ mit der mittleren Temperatur während der Zeit vor der Unterbrechung. Aber die Variationen in den End-Tagen der Zwischenstopps konnten nicht mit der Temperatur während der Zeit vor der Ankunft der Vögel erklärt werden. Außerdem korrelierte die Länge der Unterbrechungen negativ mit dem Beginn, aber nicht mit dem Ende der Unterbrechungszeit. Dieses Muster entspricht Beobachtungen, nach denen bei anderen Wasserzugvögeln die Temperatur eng mit dem Nahrungsangebot und dem Vorhandensein offener Wasserflächen zusammenhängt. Aus unseren Ergebnissen schließen wir, dass bei Singschwänen eine höhere Temperatur zu einer zeitlichen und räumlichen Verschiebung von Unterbrechungen auf ihrer Zugroute führt und die Vögel in unserem speziellen Fall wahrscheinlich früher im Frühjahr ankommen und entsprechend länger im Untersuchungsgebiet verbleiben. Ein längerer Aufenthalt führt außerdem vermutlich zu größerem Beweidungsdruck und zu einem höheren Schadens-Risiko bei den angebauten Feldfrüchten.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the personnel at “Stiftelsen Tysslingen” for providing the data and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency for financial support. We also thank two anonymous reviewers, G. Samelius, H. Andrén and P. Kjellander for valuable comments on the manuscript and M. Hake for advice at an early stage of the study.
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Communicated by F. Bairlein.
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Månsson, J., Hämäläinen, L. Spring stopover patterns of migrating Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus): temperature as a predictor over a 10-year period. J Ornithol 153, 477–483 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-011-0763-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-011-0763-5