Data from: Fat, weather, and date affect migratory songbirds’ departure decisions, routes, and time it takes to cross the Gulf of Mexico

Citation
Deppe JL, Ward MP, Bolus RT, Diehl RH, Celis-Murillo A, Zenzal TJJ, Moore FR, Benson TJ, Smolinsky JA, Schofield LN, Enstrom DA, Paxton EH, Bohrer G, Beveroth TA, Raim A, Obringer RL, Delaney D, Cochran WW. 2016. Data from: Fat, weather, and date affect migratory songbirds’ departure decisions, routes, and time it takes to cross the Gulf of Mexico. Movebank Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.5441/001/1.12hv60k6
Abstract
Approximately two thirds of migratory songbirds in eastern North America negotiate the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), where inclement weather coupled with no refueling or resting opportunities can be lethal. However, decisions made when navigating such features and their consequences remain largely unknown due to technological limitations of tracking small animals over large areas. We used automated radio telemetry to track three songbird species (Red-eyed Vireo, Swainson’s Thrush, Wood Thrush) from coastal Alabama to the northern Yucatan Peninsula (YP) during fall migration. Detecting songbirds after crossing ∼1,000 km of open water allowed us to examine intrinsic (age, wing length, fat) and extrinsic (weather, date) variables shaping departure decisions, arrival at the YP, and crossing times. Large fat reserves and low humidity, indicative of beneficial synoptic weather patterns, favored southward departure across the Gulf. Individuals detected in the YP departed with large fat reserves and later in the fall with profitable winds, and flight durations (mean = 22.4 h) were positively related to wind profit. Age was not related to departure behavior, arrival, or travel time. However, vireos negotiated the GOM differently than thrushes, including different departure decisions, lower probability of detection in the YP, and longer crossing times. Defense of winter territories by thrushes but not vireos and species-specific foraging habits may explain the divergent migratory behaviors. Fat reserves appear extremely important to departure decisions and arrival in the YP. As habitat along the GOM is degraded, birds may be limited in their ability to acquire fat to cross the Gulf.
Keywords
Vireo olivaceus,Catharus ustulatus,Hylocichla mustelina,Catharus ustulatus,Env-DATA,fall migration,Gulf of Mexico,Hylocichla mustelina,migration barrier,Movebank,radio telemetry,red-eyed vireo,risk minimization,songbirds,Swainson's thrush,Vireo olivaceus,wood thrush,Yucatan Peninsula
Taxa
Taxon
Vireo olivaceus
Red-eyed Vireo
Taxon
Catharus ustulatus
Swainson's Thrush
Taxon
Hylocichla mustelina
Wood Thrush
Sensors
Related Workflows
BibTex
@misc{001/1_12hv60k6,
  title = {Data from: Fat, weather, and date affect migratory songbirds’ departure decisions, routes, and time it takes to cross the Gulf of Mexico},
  author = {Deppe, JL and Ward, MP and Bolus, RT and Diehl, RH and Celis-Murillo, A and Zenzal, TJJ and Moore, FR and Benson, TJ and Smolinsky, JA and Schofield, LN and Enstrom, DA and Paxton, EH and Bohrer, G and Beveroth, TA and Raim, A and Obringer, RL and Delaney, D and Cochran, WW},
  year = {2016},
  URL = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.12hv60k6},
  doi = {doi:10.5441/001/1.12hv60k6},
  publisher = {Movebank data repository}
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
ID  - doi:10.5441/001/1.12hv60k6
T1  - Data from: Fat, weather, and date affect migratory songbirds’ departure decisions, routes, and time it takes to cross the Gulf of Mexico
AU  - Deppe, Jill L.
AU  - Ward, Michael P.
AU  - Bolus, Rachel T.
AU  - Diehl, Robert H.
AU  - Celis-Murillo, Antonio
AU  - Zenzal, Theodore J. Jr.
AU  - Moore, Frank R.
AU  - Benson, Thomas J.
AU  - Smolinsky, Jaclyn A.
AU  - Schofield, Lynn N.
AU  - Enstrom, David A.
AU  - Paxton, Eben H.
AU  - Bohrer, Gil
AU  - Beveroth, Tara A.
AU  - Raim, Arlo
AU  - Obringer, Renee L.
AU  - Delaney, David
AU  - Cochran, William W.
Y1  - 2016/09/08
KW  - Vireo olivaceus
KW  - animal tracking
KW  - Catharus ustulatus
KW  - Hylocichla mustelina
KW  - Catharus ustulatus
KW  - Env-DATA
KW  - fall migration
KW  - Gulf of Mexico
KW  - Hylocichla mustelina
KW  - migration barrier
KW  - Movebank
KW  - radio telemetry
KW  - red-eyed vireo
KW  - risk minimization
KW  - songbirds
KW  - Swainson's thrush
KW  - Vireo olivaceus
KW  - wood thrush
KW  - Yucatan Peninsula
KW  - Vireo olivaceus
KW  - Catharus ustulatus
KW  - Hylocichla mustelina
PB  - Movebank data repository
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.12hv60k6
DO  - doi:10.5441/001/1.12hv60k6
ER  -
Collections