Advancement in long-distance bird migration through individual plasticity in departure
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Date
2021-08-06
Open Access Location
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Publisher
Nature Research
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CC BY 4.0
Abstract
Globally, bird migration is occurring earlier in the year, consistent with climate-related
changes in breeding resources. Although often attributed to phenotypic plasticity, there is no
clear demonstration of long-term population advancement in avian migration through individual
plasticity. Using direct observations of bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) departing
New Zealand on a 16,000-km journey to Alaska, we show that migration advanced by six
days during 2008–2020, and that within-individual advancement was sufficient to explain
this population-level change. However, in individuals tracked for the entire migration (50 total
tracks of 36 individuals), earlier departure did not lead to earlier arrival or breeding in Alaska,
due to prolonged stopovers in Asia. Moreover, changes in breeding-site phenology varied
across Alaska, but were not reflected in within-population differences in advancement of
migratory departure. We demonstrate that plastic responses can drive population-level
changes in timing of long-distance migration, but also that behavioral and environmental
constraints en route may yet limit adaptive responses to global change.
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NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 2021, 12 (1)