Occurrence of quiescence in free-ranging migratory songbirds

Schofield, Lynn N.; Deppe, Jill L.; Diehl, Robert H.; Ward, Michael P.; Bolus, Rachel T.; Zenzal, Theodore J.; Smolinsky, Jaclyn; Moore, Frank R.

doi:10.1007/s00265-018-2449-y

Original Article
Published: 14 February 2018

Occurrence of quiescence in free-ranging migratory songbirds

Lynn N. Schofield^1,2,
Jill L. Deppe¹,
Robert H. Diehl³,
Michael P. Ward⁴,
Rachel T. Bolus^3,4,5,
Theodore J. Zenzal Jr^4,6,
Jaclyn Smolinsky⁷ &
Frank R. Moore⁶

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology volume 72, Article number: 36 (2018) Cite this article

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Abstract

Quiescence is a period of inactivity that occurs before the onset of migratory activity in nocturnally migrating birds. This behavior has been observed in captive birds in migratory disposition, but its occurrence in free-ranging migratory birds has been documented only anecdotally, and causal factors and function(s), if any, are unknown. In this study, we documented and characterized quiescence in three migratory songbird species (red-eyed vireo [Vireo olivaceus], Swainson’s thrush [Catharus ustulatus], and wood thrush [Hylocichla mustelina]) by measuring movement and proportion of time spent inactive prior to departure from a stopover site during fall migration. Individuals of each species displayed a period of inactivity prior to departure which varied from less than 30 min to over 90 min with red-eyed vireos engaged in the longest, most pronounced quiescence. We also examined how quiescence was related to intrinsic and extrinsic factors known to influence the departure of migrating birds, and found some evidence for an effect of age and departure time but no effect of a migrant’s energetic condition, departure direction, atmospheric conditions around departure, or day of year on quiescence. Our novel application of an automated radiotelemetry system yielded a large amount of data to characterize quiescence in free-ranging migratory birds, and we provide guidance for future studies to tease apart the various causal factors and function(s) of this migratory behavior.

Significance statement

Quiescence is a poorly understood period of inactivity observed among captive and free-ranging migratory songbirds prior to the onset of nocturnal activity. Our novel use of automated radiotelemetry revealed quiescence among three intercontinental migratory songbirds. It also enabled us to ask how quiescence might be related to intrinsic and extrinsic factors known to influence the departure of migrating birds, and provided an opportunity to explore possible function(s), if any, of this intriguing behavior.

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Acknowledgments

We thank our numerous field technicians at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Fort Morgan Peninsula Banding Station for their work and dedication as well as the USM radio tower crews and members of the USM Migratory Bird Research Group. We appreciate the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge for providing permission to conduct work on their property. We also thank Sarah Davidson and Rolf Weinzierl from Movebank.org, who assisted us in accessing atmospheric data. We thank Eben Paxton and two anonymous reviewers, who provided comments that substantially improved the quality of our paper. James Novak, Eric Bollinger, and Sean Peterson provided valuable feedback on the research and comments on earlier drafts. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (IOS Award nos. 1146832, 1147096, and 1147022), National Geographic Society Committee on Research and Exploration (Award no. 8971-11), Eastern Illinois University (Research and Creative Activity Awards to JLD and LNS), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Southern Mississippi. TJZ was supported by a National Science Foundation GK-12 Program Award (no. 0947944). Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, IL, 61920, USA
Lynn N. Schofield & Jill L. Deppe
Institute for Bird Populations, PO Box 1346, Point Reyes Station, CA, 94956, USA
Lynn N. Schofield
U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, 2327 University Way Suite 2, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA
Robert H. Diehl & Rachel T. Bolus
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, 1102 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
Michael P. Ward, Rachel T. Bolus & Theodore J. Zenzal Jr
Department of Biology, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT, 84720, USA
Rachel T. Bolus
Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5018, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
Theodore J. Zenzal Jr & Frank R. Moore
Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, 531 S. College Avenue, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
Jaclyn Smolinsky

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Lynn N. Schofield
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Jill L. Deppe
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Robert H. Diehl
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Michael P. Ward
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Rachel T. Bolus
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Theodore J. Zenzal Jr
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Jaclyn Smolinsky
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Frank R. Moore
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Correspondence to Jill L. Deppe.

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All research activities involving animals were approved by the University of Southern Mississippi Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (protocol no. 11092210), US Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory (permit no. 21221), and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.

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Schofield, L.N., Deppe, J.L., Diehl, R.H. et al. Occurrence of quiescence in free-ranging migratory songbirds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 72, 36 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-018-2449-y

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Received: 31 July 2017
Revised: 19 January 2018
Accepted: 24 January 2018
Published: 14 February 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-018-2449-y

Keywords

Quiescence
Migration
Automated radiotelemetry
Catharus ustulatus
Hylocichla mustelina
Vireo olivaceus