Fitness consequences of migration in the spoonbill: a comparative approach
Informations
- Funding country
Netherlands- Acronym
- -
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 3/1/2008
- End date
- 6/21/2012
- Budget
- 248,495 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Programme 2007 (ALW - Earth and Life Sciences) | Grant | 3/1/2008 | 6/21/2012 | 248,495 EUR |
Organisations
Abstract
Migration is a widespread phenomenon among birds. Rather than being a unitary character, there is much variation in migratory patterns, both between and within species. Theories that explain the evolution of migration patterns primarily rely on a cost-benefit approach: the cost of migration is traded off against the benefits of breeding in temperate and wintering in tropical areas. These costs and benefits may depend on environmental conditions, on the level of inter- and intraspecific competition and on individual characteristics of the bird, such as age, sex, body size and competitive ability. Empirical measurements of costs and benefits of migration remain scarce, however, as most migratory birds are difficult to follow throughout their annual cycle. In this study, we aim to quantify the relationship between migration patterns and fitness components (i.e., breeding success and seasonal survival) in a within-species comparison, which allows a quantitative approach. The study system is the spoonbill, for two main reasons: (1) spoonbills exhibit large individual variation in migration patterns (i.e., in breeding latitude, wintering latitude and migration distance) and (2) spoonbills are large birds that use only a restricted number of breeding and wintering areas, which facilitates the following of individuals throughout the year. We aim to quantify the relationship between fitness components and migration patterns by comparing breeding success and seasonal survival rates for birds that breed versus winter in different areas, and in relation to migration distance. Despite the fact that costs and benefits cannot be estimated without experimental manipulation, this comparative approach provides an important first step into a better understanding of the trade-off that spoonbills ? and other migratory birds ? make between breeding in temperate and wintering in tropical areas.