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The roles of environmental and geographic variables in explaining the differential wintering distribution of a migratory passerine in southern Europe

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Abstract

In birds, spatial segregation between age or sex categories during the non-breeding period is a common phenomenon. The main single-factor hypotheses that have been stated to explain this are: (1) body-size variations (that result in more or less cold tolerance) interact with local climate, which promotes age- or sex-associated distributional optima; (2) the dominant age or sex monopolizes high-quality areas; and (3) the age or sex overwintering closer to breeding quarters does so due to the benefits of earlier arrival at the breeding quarters. Southern European countries host millions of birds from northern Europe during the winter period each year. In this work, we aimed to determine the ultimate causes (geographic location and distance to obligate migratory pathways, temperature and land use as a surrogate for food availability) explaining spatial segregation of Reed Buntings (Emberiza schoeniclus) by age and sex in winter. We used data from 38 sampling points across Iberia during the winter of 2011–2012. Reed Bunting abundance did not fit any of our possible models better than the null model, so we were unable to predict bird numbers across Iberia. Moreover, males were found to be predominant at sites close to presumably obligate migratory pathways (western/eastern Pyrenees). Body mass was higher in first-year birds and males, and tended to increase with distance to obligate migratory pathways, land use (in particular with a decreasing proportion of open habitats and urban areas), increasing minimum temperature, and decreasing mean temperature. Our data suggest that the increase in the proportion of males close to obligate migratory pathways is associated with the advantage to males in wintering as close as possible to breeding quarters.

Zusammenfassung

Die Rolle von Umwelt- und geographischen Variablen bei der Erklärung unterschiedlicher Winterverbreitungen eines ziehenden Sperlingsvogels in Südeuropa

Bei Vögeln ist eine räumliche Trennung von Altersgruppen oder Geschlechtern außerhalb der Brutsaison ein weit verbreitetes Phänomen. Dies sind die einen einzelnen Faktor berücksichtigenden Haupthypothesen, die zur Erklärung herangezogen worden sind: (1) Unterschiede in der Körpergröße (die zu einer geringeren oder höheren Toleranz niedriger Temperaturen führen) interagieren mit dem lokalen Klima, was alters- oder geschlechtsspezifische Verbreitungsoptima begünstigt, (2) das dominante Alter oder Geschlecht monopolisiert hochwertige Gebiete und (3) das Alter oder Geschlecht, das näher am Brutgebiet überwintert, kann die Vorteile einer früheren Ankunft im Brutgebiet ausnutzen. Millionen nordeuropäischer Vögel überwintern jedes Jahr in südeuropäischen Ländern. In dieser Arbeit wollten wir die ultimaten Ursachen (geographische Lage und Entfernung zu obligaten Zugwegen, Temperatur und Landnutzung als Stellvertreter für Nahrungsverfügbarkeit), welche die räumliche Trennung von Rohrammern (Emberiza schoeniclus) im Winter nach Alter und Geschlecht erklären, ermitteln. Wir haben Daten von 38 Beobachtungspunkten in ganz Spanien aus dem Winter 2011–2012 herangezogen. Keines der möglichen Modelle erklärte die Abundanz der Rohrammern besser als das Nullmodell, wodurch wir nicht in der Lage waren, die Zahlen der Vögel in Spanien vorherzusagen. Darüber hinaus fanden wir, dass in der Nähe vermutlich obligater Zugwege (westliche/östliche Pyrenäen) überwiegend Männchen auftraten. Die Körpermasse war bei einjährigen Vögeln und Männchen höher und neigte dazu, mit der Entfernung zu obligaten Zugwegen, stärkerer Landnutzung (besonders mit einem abnehmenden Anteil offener Habitate und urbaner Flächen), steigenden Mindesttemperaturen und abnehmenden Durchschnittstemperaturen zuzunehmen. Unsere Daten deuten darauf hin, dass die Zunahme des Männchenanteils in der Nähe obligater Zugwege damit zusammenhängt, dass es für die Männchen vorteilhaft ist, so nah wie möglich am Brutgebiet zu überwintern.

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank the many ringers who participated in the sampling of Reed Buntings: José L. Arroyo, Gorka Belamendia, Arnau Bonan, Alba Casals, Oriol Clarabuch, Ariñe Crespo, Emilio Escudero, Juan C. Fernández-Ordóñez, José L. Garzón, J. Gómez, J. Vicente González, Juan M. González, Rafael González, Óscar Gutiérrez, José L. Hernández, José I. Jauregi, Pere Josa, Iñigo López-Sarasa, Paco Martínez, David Miguélez, Alejandro Onrubia, Alfredo H. Ortega, Martín Pena, José M. Romero-Hiraldo, José M. Rivas, Lidia Roncero, Sergi Sales, Ángel Sallent, Víctor Salvador, Carlos A. Torralvo, Edorta Unamuno, Thijs Valkenburg. We also want to thank L. Cardador and M. de Cáceres for their advice about model averaging analysis. This research was partly funded by the Diputación de Gipuzkoa, Gobierno Vasco—Eusko Jaurlaritza, Grupo Ibérico de Anillamiento, Consorci de l’Estany d’Ivars-Vilasana, EGRELL, Fundación Migres, and Estació Biològica del Pallars Jussà. Two anonymous referees provided valuable comments that helped us to improve an earlier version of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, E20014, Donostia-S. Sebastián, Spain

    Juan Arizaga & David Mazuelas

  2. Biodiversity and Animal Conservation Lab (BAC-Lab), Àrea de Biodiversitat, Forest Sciences Center of Catalonia (CTFC), Crta. de Sant Llorenç de Morunys Km 2, E25280, Solsona, Catalonia, Spain

    Gerard Bota

  3. “Cavanilles” Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Catedrático José Beltrán 2, E46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain

    Pablo Vera

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  1. Juan Arizaga
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Correspondence to Juan Arizaga.

Additional information

Communicated by N. Chernetsov.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 4 and 5.

Table 4 Station codes, sampling effort (sampling days, number of linear meters of mist nets used at each site), and habitat and vegetation structure around mist nets
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Table 5 Number of captures of Reed Buntings in Iberia, during the winter of 2011
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Arizaga, J., Bota, G., Mazuelas, D. et al. The roles of environmental and geographic variables in explaining the differential wintering distribution of a migratory passerine in southern Europe. J Ornithol 156, 469–479 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-014-1147-4

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