TY - JOUR
T1 - Spatial and Temporal Variability in Migration of a Soaring Raptor Across Three Continents
AU - Phipps, W. Louis
AU - López-López, Pascual
AU - Buechley, Evan R.
AU - Oppel, Steffen
AU - Álvarez, Ernesto
AU - Arkumarev, Volen
AU - Bekmansurov, Rinur
AU - Berger-Tal, Oded
AU - Bermejo, Ana
AU - Bounas, Anastasios
AU - Alanís, Isidoro Carbonell
AU - de la Puente, Javier
AU - Dobrev, Vladimir
AU - Duriez, Olivier
AU - Efrat, Ron
AU - Fréchet, Guillaume
AU - García, Javier
AU - Galán, Manuel
AU - García-Ripollés, Clara
AU - Gil, Alberto
AU - Iglesias-Lebrija, Juan José
AU - Jambas, José
AU - Karyakin, Igor V.
AU - Kobierzycki, Erick
AU - Kret, Elzbieta
AU - Loercher, Franziska
AU - Monteiro, Antonio
AU - Morant Etxebarria, Jon
AU - Nikolov, Stoyan C.
AU - Pereira, José
AU - Peške, Lubomír
AU - Ponchon, Cecile
AU - Realinho, Eduardo
AU - Saravia, Victoria
AU - Sekercioğlu, Cağan H.
AU - Skartsi, Theodora
AU - Tavares, José
AU - Teodósio, Joaquim
AU - Urios, Vicente
AU - Vallverdú, Núria
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Copyright © 2019 Phipps, López-López, Buechley, Oppel, Álvarez, Arkumarev, Bekmansurov, Berger-Tal, Bermejo, Bounas, Alanís, de la Puente, Dobrev, Duriez, Efrat, Fréchet, García, Galán, García-Ripollés, Gil, Iglesias-Lebrija, Jambas, Karyakin, Kobierzycki, Kret, Loercher, Monteiro, Morant Etxebarria, Nikolov, Pereira, Peške, Ponchon, Realinho, Saravia, Sekercioğlu, Skartsi, Tavares, Teodósio, Urios and Vallverdú.
PY - 2019/9/10
Y1 - 2019/9/10
N2 - Disentangling individual- and population-level variation in migratory movements is necessary for understanding migration at the species level. However, very few studies have analyzed these patterns across large portions of species' distributions. We compiled a large telemetry dataset on the globally endangered Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (94 individuals, 188 completed migratory journeys), tracked across ~70% of the species' global range, to analyze spatial and temporal variability of migratory movements within and among individuals and populations. We found high migratory connectivity at large spatial scales (i.e., different subpopulations showed little overlap in wintering areas), but very diffuse migratory connectivity within subpopulations, with wintering ranges up to 4,000 km apart for birds breeding in the same region and each subpopulation visiting up to 28 countries (44 in total). Additionally, Egyptian Vultures exhibited a high level of variability at the subpopulation level and flexibility at the individual level in basic migration parameters. Subpopulations differed significantly in travel distance and straightness of migratory movements, while differences in migration speed and duration differed as much between seasons and among individuals within subpopulations as between subpopulations. The total distances of the migrations completed by individuals from the Balkans and Caucasus were up to twice as long and less direct than those in Western Europe, and consequently were longer in duration, despite faster migration speeds. These differences appear to be largely attributable to more numerous and wider geographic barriers (water bodies) along the eastern flyway. We also found that adult spring migrations to Western Europe and the Balkans were longer and slower than fall migrations. We encourage further research to assess the underlying mechanisms for these differences and the extent to which environmental change could affect Egyptian Vulture movement ecology and population trends.
AB - Disentangling individual- and population-level variation in migratory movements is necessary for understanding migration at the species level. However, very few studies have analyzed these patterns across large portions of species' distributions. We compiled a large telemetry dataset on the globally endangered Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (94 individuals, 188 completed migratory journeys), tracked across ~70% of the species' global range, to analyze spatial and temporal variability of migratory movements within and among individuals and populations. We found high migratory connectivity at large spatial scales (i.e., different subpopulations showed little overlap in wintering areas), but very diffuse migratory connectivity within subpopulations, with wintering ranges up to 4,000 km apart for birds breeding in the same region and each subpopulation visiting up to 28 countries (44 in total). Additionally, Egyptian Vultures exhibited a high level of variability at the subpopulation level and flexibility at the individual level in basic migration parameters. Subpopulations differed significantly in travel distance and straightness of migratory movements, while differences in migration speed and duration differed as much between seasons and among individuals within subpopulations as between subpopulations. The total distances of the migrations completed by individuals from the Balkans and Caucasus were up to twice as long and less direct than those in Western Europe, and consequently were longer in duration, despite faster migration speeds. These differences appear to be largely attributable to more numerous and wider geographic barriers (water bodies) along the eastern flyway. We also found that adult spring migrations to Western Europe and the Balkans were longer and slower than fall migrations. We encourage further research to assess the underlying mechanisms for these differences and the extent to which environmental change could affect Egyptian Vulture movement ecology and population trends.
KW - GPS
KW - Neophron percnopterus
KW - conservation biology
KW - migration connectivity
KW - movement ecology
KW - phenotypic plasticity
KW - satellite tracking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85072882027&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00323
DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00323
M3 - Article
SN - 2296-701X
VL - 7
JO - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
JF - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
M1 - 323
ER -