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Mortality within the annual cycle: seasonal survival patterns in Afro-Siberian Red Knots Calidris canutus canutus

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Abstract

Estimates of seasonal mortality for long-distance migrant birds are extremely challenging to collect and consequently reports are scarce. Determining when and where mortality occurs within the annual cycle is important for an understanding of population dynamics and the evolutionary drivers of long-distance migration. We collected data on seasonal survival in a mark–recapture study of colour-marked Red Knots Calidris canutus canutus in their main wintering area at tropical Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania, West Africa. Our study population breeds 9,000 km to the northeast on Taymyr Peninsula, central northern Siberia. Our results show that annual apparent survival decreased from 0.87 ± 0.01 (SE) in 2002–2005 to 0.78 ± 0.02 in 2006–2009. During the 3-year time-window between 2006 and 2009, additional resightings just before migration and after return to the wintering grounds allowed us to partition the year into two periods: the non-breeding period on the Banc d’Arguin, and the migration and breeding period away from it. We estimated that, on the Banc d’Arguin, the 2-month apparent survival rate was 0.94 ± 0.01, whereas 2-month survival approached unity during the rest of year. Hence, most mortality occurred on the tropical wintering grounds. We review the possible physiological and ecological stressors involved and discuss the generality of these results.

Zusammenfassung

Die Verteilung der Sterblichkeit im Jahresverlauf: saisonale Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeiten bei Afro-Sibirischen Knutts Calidris canutus canutus

Das Sammeln von Daten zu saisonaler Sterblichkeit von Langstreckenziehern stellt Forscher vor große Herausforderungen. Dementsprechend werden solche Daten selten veröffentlicht. Um Populationsdynamiken und die evolutionären Einflussfaktoren auf die Entwicklung des Langstreckenzugs verstehen zu können, ist es jedoch wichtig, zu wissen, wann im Jahresverlauf die Sterblichkeit am höchsten ist. Wir haben Daten zu saisonaler Sterblichkeit im Rahmen eines Farbberingungsprojekts an Afro-Sibirischen Knutts Calidris canutus canutus in ihrem Hauptüberwinterungsgebiet an der Banc d’Arguin, Mauretanien, Westafrika, gesammelt. Diese Population brütet auf der 9,000 km entfernten Halbinsel Taimyr, im nördlichen Zentralsibirien. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, daß die lokale jährliche Überlebenwahrscheinlichkeit von 0.87 (±0.01 SE) in 2002–2005 auf 0.78 (±0.02) in 2006–2009 gesunken ist. Im Zeitraum zwischen 2006 und 2009 hatten wir die Gelegenheit, sowohl kurz vor dem Abflug in die Brutgebiete als auch nach der Rückkehr in die Wintergebiete, zusätzliche Farbring-Beobachtungen durchzuführen. Diese haben es ermöglicht, das Jahr in zwei Zeiträume aufzuteilen—die Wintersaison an der Banc d’Arguin und die kombinierte Zug- und Brutsaison außerhalb der Banc d’Arguin -, und somit saisonale Überlebensraten zu berechnen. Wie berechneten, daß die Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit an der Banc d’Arguin 0.94 (±0.01, über einen zweimonatigen Zeitraum) betrug, während die entsprechende Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit im Rest des Jahres beinahe 1 war. Es scheint daher, daß die höchste Sterblichkeit im Jahresverlauf in den tropischen Überwinterungsgebieten stattfand. Wir erörtern diese Erkenntnisse vor dem Hintergrund möglicher physiologischer und ökologischer Stressfaktoren und diskutieren die allgemeine Gültigkeit unserer Ergebnisse.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin (PNBA) in Nouakchott, Mauritania for permission to work in the national park and for all invaluable help during all phases of many expeditions. Our colleagues at the Biological Station Iwik always made us feel welcome and helped in many ways during our stays. Participants in the Mauritania expeditions 2002–2009 included N. Abayie, M. Avloitt, P. Battley, H. Blijleven, P. de Boer, D. Buehler, M. Bulte, A. Dekinga, J. Dierschke, J. van Dijk, A. Evers, P. de Goeij, K. Grond, K. Günther, J. Guilherme, H.O.M. El Hacen, G.T. Hallgrimson, L. Hofstee, J. Hooijmeijer, H. Horn, J. ten Horn, P.J. van den Hout, J. van de Kam, C. Kelly, C. Ketzenberg, E. Koomson, L. van Kooten, C. Kraan, J. Lewis, B. Loos, L. Mendes, Y. Ntiamoa-Baidu, K. Oosterbeek, P. Potts, S. Pruiksma, A. Purgue, J. Reneerkens, F. Robin, G. Scheiffarth, J. Smart, M. Smart, N. Spaans, I. Tieleman, B. Thorrison, S. Waasdorp, and R. Ward. Valuable comments on the manuscript were provided by G. Aarts, T. Alerstam, P.F. Battley, J.A. Gill, R.T. Holmes, P.J. van den Hout, Y.I. Verkuil and by anonymous reviewers. J. van Dijk received expeditionary support from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV). J.L. was financed by a PhD grant from the MAVA Foundation, Switzerland, to T.P. Field expeditions were additionally financed by the Royal NIOZ, the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfondsprijs voor Natuurbehoud to T.P. in 2004, and grants from the Schure-Beijerinck-Popping Fonds to J.L. in 2008 and 2009.

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  1. Jutta Leyrer

    Present address: Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, VIC, 3217, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Ecology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Den Burg, PO Box 59, 1790 AB, Texel, The Netherlands

    Jutta Leyrer, Tamar Lok, Maarten Brugge, Bernard Spaans & Theunis Piersma

  2. Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies (CEES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Jutta Leyrer, Tamar Lok & Theunis Piersma

  3. Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 116 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA

    Brett K. Sandercock

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  1. Jutta Leyrer
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Correspondence to Jutta Leyrer.

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Communicated by P. H. Becker.

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Leyrer, J., Lok, T., Brugge, M. et al. Mortality within the annual cycle: seasonal survival patterns in Afro-Siberian Red Knots Calidris canutus canutus . J Ornithol 154, 933–943 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-013-0959-y

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