TY - JOUR
T1 - Fitness, behavioral, and energetic trade-offs of different migratory strategies in a partially migratory species
AU - Soriano-Redondo, Andrea
AU - Franco, Aldina M. A.
AU - Serra Acacio, Marta
AU - Payo-Payo, Ana
AU - Martins, Bruno Herlander
AU - Moreira, Francisco
AU - Catry, Inês
N1 - Funding Information: This work was financed by the FEDER Funds through the Operational Competitiveness Factors Program—COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the project “POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐028176,” by InBIO (UID/BIA/50027/2013 and POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐006821) and FCT/MCTES. Andrea Soriano‐Redondo, Bruno Herlander Martins and Inês Catry were supported by FCT (grant numbers PTDC/BIA‐ECO/28176/2017, SFRH/BD/145323/2019 and 2021.03224.CEECIND). Aldina M. A. Franco was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC; grant number NE/K006312), Norwich Research Park Translational Fund, University of East Anglia Innovation Funds and Earth and Life Systems Alliance funds. Marta Acácio was supported by the NERC (grant number NE/N012070/1). Francisco Moreira was supported by FCT (grant number IF/01053/2015) and the REN Biodiversity Chair.
PY - 2023/10
Y1 - 2023/10
N2 - Alternative migratory strategies can coexist within animal populations and species. Anthropogenic impacts can shift the fitness balance between these strategies leading to changes in migratory behaviors. Yet some of the mechanisms that drive such changes remain poorly understood. Here we investigate the phenotypic differences, and the energetic, behavioral, and fitness trade-offs associated with four different movement strategies (long-distance and short-distance migration, and regional and local residency) in a population of white storks (Ciconia ciconia) that has shifted its migratory behavior over the last decades, from fully long-distance migration toward year-round residency. To do this, we tracked 75 adult storks fitted with GPS/GSM loggers with tri-axial acceleration sensors over 5 years, and estimated individual displacement, behavior, and overall dynamic body acceleration, a proxy for activity-related energy expenditure. Additionally, we monitored nesting colonies to assess individual survival and breeding success. We found that long-distance migrants traveled thousands of kilometers more throughout the year, spent more energy, and >10% less time resting compared with short-distance migrants and residents. Long-distance migrants also spent on average more energy per unit of time while foraging, and less energy per unit of time while soaring. Migratory individuals also occupied their nests later than resident ones, later occupation led to later laying dates and a lower number of fledglings. However, we did not find significant differences in survival probability. Finally, we found phenotypic differences in the migratory probability, as smaller sized individuals were more likely to migrate, and they might be incurring higher energetic and fitness costs than larger ones. Our results shed light on the shifting migratory strategies in a partially migratory population and highlight the nuances of anthropogenic impacts on species behavior, fitness, and evolutionary dynamics.
AB - Alternative migratory strategies can coexist within animal populations and species. Anthropogenic impacts can shift the fitness balance between these strategies leading to changes in migratory behaviors. Yet some of the mechanisms that drive such changes remain poorly understood. Here we investigate the phenotypic differences, and the energetic, behavioral, and fitness trade-offs associated with four different movement strategies (long-distance and short-distance migration, and regional and local residency) in a population of white storks (Ciconia ciconia) that has shifted its migratory behavior over the last decades, from fully long-distance migration toward year-round residency. To do this, we tracked 75 adult storks fitted with GPS/GSM loggers with tri-axial acceleration sensors over 5 years, and estimated individual displacement, behavior, and overall dynamic body acceleration, a proxy for activity-related energy expenditure. Additionally, we monitored nesting colonies to assess individual survival and breeding success. We found that long-distance migrants traveled thousands of kilometers more throughout the year, spent more energy, and >10% less time resting compared with short-distance migrants and residents. Long-distance migrants also spent on average more energy per unit of time while foraging, and less energy per unit of time while soaring. Migratory individuals also occupied their nests later than resident ones, later occupation led to later laying dates and a lower number of fledglings. However, we did not find significant differences in survival probability. Finally, we found phenotypic differences in the migratory probability, as smaller sized individuals were more likely to migrate, and they might be incurring higher energetic and fitness costs than larger ones. Our results shed light on the shifting migratory strategies in a partially migratory population and highlight the nuances of anthropogenic impacts on species behavior, fitness, and evolutionary dynamics.
KW - GPS tracking
KW - breeding success
KW - movement
KW - overall dynamic body acceleration
KW - survival
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85170381941&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ecy.4151
DO - 10.1002/ecy.4151
M3 - Article
VL - 104
JO - Ecology
JF - Ecology
SN - 0012-9658
IS - 10
M1 - e4151
ER -