Concentration of a widespread breeding population in few critically important nonbreeding areas_ migratory connectivity in the Prothonotary Warbler-reference-data

Tonra CM, Hallworth MT, Boves TJ, Reese J, Bulluck LP, Johnson M, Viverette C, Percy K, Ames EM, Matthews A, Slevin MC, Wilson RR, Johnson EI. 2019. Concentration of a widespread breeding population in few critically important nonbreeding areas_ migratory connectivity in the Prothonotary Warbler-reference-data. Movebank Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.5441/001/1.j8s36d40/3

Abstract

One of the greatest challenges to informed conservation of migratory animals is elucidating spatiotemporal variation in distributions. Without such information, it is impossible to understand full-annual-cycle ecology and effectively implement conservation actions that address where and when populations are most limited. We deployed and recovered light-level geolocators (n = 34) at 6 breeding sites in North America across the breeding range of a declining long-distance migratory bird, the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea). We sought to determine migratory routes, stopover location and duration, and the location of overwintering grounds. We found that the species exhibits a large-scale, east‒west split in migratory routes and weak migratory connectivity across its range. Specifically, almost all individuals, regardless of breeding origin, overlapped in their estimated wintering location in northern Colombia, in an area 20% the size of the breeding range. Additionally, most of the individuals across all breeding locations concentrated in well-defined stopover locations in Central America while en route to Colombia. Although error inherent in light-level geolocation cannot be fully ruled out, surprisingly much of the estimated wintering area included inland areas even though the Prothonotary Warbler is considered a specialist on coastal mangroves in winter. Based on these results, conservation efforts directed at very specific nonbreeding geographical areas will potentially have benefits across most of the breeding population. Our findings highlight the importance of using modern technologies to validate assumptions about little-studied portions of a species’ annual cycle, and the need to distribute sampling across its range.

Keywords

animal movement,animal tracking,avian migration,Columbia,geolocator,light-level logger,migratory connectivity,prothonotary warbler,Protonotaria citrea,stopovers

DOIs of related Publications

https://doi.org/10.1093/condor/duz019

URI

https://datarepository.movebank.org/handle/10255/move.862

BibTex

@misc{001/1_j8s36d40/3,
  title = {Concentration of a widespread breeding population in few critically important nonbreeding areas_ migratory connectivity in the Prothonotary Warbler-reference-data},
  author = {Tonra, CM and Hallworth, MT and Boves, TJ and Reese, J and Bulluck, LP and Johnson, M and Viverette, C and Percy, K and Ames, EM and Matthews, A and Slevin, MC and Wilson, RR and Johnson, EI},
  year = {2019},
  URL = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.j8s36d40/3},
  doi = {doi:10.5441/001/1.j8s36d40/3},
  publisher = {Movebank data repository}
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
ID  - doi:10.5441/001/1.j8s36d40/3
T1  - Concentration of a widespread breeding population in few critically important nonbreeding areas_ migratory connectivity in the Prothonotary Warbler-reference-data
AU  - Tonra, Christopher M.
AU  - Hallworth, Michael T.
AU  - Boves, Than J.
AU  - Reese, Jessie
AU  - Bulluck, Lesley P.
AU  - Johnson, Matthew
AU  - Viverette, Cathy
AU  - Percy, Katie
AU  - Ames, Elizabeth M.
AU  - Matthews, Alix
AU  - Slevin, Morgan C.
AU  - Wilson, R. Randy
AU  - Johnson, Erik I.
Y1  - 2019/07/03
KW  - animal movement
KW  - animal tracking
KW  - avian migration
KW  - Columbia
KW  - geolocator
KW  - light-level logger
KW  - migratory connectivity
KW  - prothonotary warbler
KW  - Protonotaria citrea
KW  - stopovers
KW  - Protonotaria citrea
PB  - Movebank data repository
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.j8s36d40/3
DO  - doi:10.5441/001/1.j8s36d40/3
ER  -

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