About this Research Topic
Migration is a widespread phenomenon that has evolved among a great number and variety of taxa as a means of responding to global seasonal variation. Long-distance migratory birds exhibit some of the most extraordinary migratory strategies, traveling thousands of miles between their wintering and breeding grounds. As migration is energetically demanding, migratory birds must optimize their “time against distance” schedule, to be able to safely and successfully complete their journey. Though long-term evolutionary adaptations may be physiological and morphological, behavioral plasticity also plays an important role in this game. Landing at unfamiliar stopover sites, birds face unpredictable conditions in terms of predation risk, competitor density, foraging opportunities, and weather. During flights, strong side winds may carry birds away from their normal route, whereas headwinds may severely increase energy expenditure, leading to poor body conditioning and consequently, increased mortality.
Birds may either choose to minimize migration time by traveling fast, expending a relatively high amount of energy, or to travel slow, stopping more frequently and minimizing energy expenditure. Each strategy may be selectively advantageous under different circumstances. For example, strong competition for breeding territories puts a premium on early arrival and fast travel whereas the high energetic costs associated with carrying too much fuel make traveling light and slow advantageous when pressures to arrive early are not as strong. While recent studies have shed some light on how individuals, especially shorebirds, manage to avoid bad weather conditions, behavioral responses to various environmental factors, in general, remain unclear.
We invite researchers studying various aspects of bird migration to submit manuscripts addressing the mechanisms underlying optimal migration. We welcome empirical and theoretical works exploring, navigation, ecology, and behavior at stop-over sites, and adaptations at multiple levels, both morphological, physiological, and behavioral. We are also interested in the endogenous background of migration, including both ultimate and proximate control. Suggested themes include but are not limited to:
• Use of novel methodology in the lab or field, such as metabolomics, molecular ecology, ultrasound, electromagnetic coils and magnetic resonance to explore orientation and navigation mechanisms, fueling patterns, and hormonal control of departure decisions
• Field experiments including the manipulation of food, predation risk, or other factors to test decision making in staging birds at stop-over sites
• Meta-analysis of bird density, diversity, body condition, and stopover duration, from ringing data sets across large units of space and time
• Theoretical and mathematical models addressing overall and specific questions on optimal migration
• Use of novel methods of long-distance tracking to analyze optimal migration routes and in-flight behavior
• Effects of management and conservation of stop-over sites
Birds may either choose to minimize migration time by traveling fast, expending a relatively high amount of energy, or to travel slow, stopping more frequently and minimizing energy expenditure. Each strategy may be selectively advantageous under different circumstances. For example, strong competition for breeding territories puts a premium on early arrival and fast travel whereas the high energetic costs associated with carrying too much fuel make traveling light and slow advantageous when pressures to arrive early are not as strong. While recent studies have shed some light on how individuals, especially shorebirds, manage to avoid bad weather conditions, behavioral responses to various environmental factors, in general, remain unclear.
We invite researchers studying various aspects of bird migration to submit manuscripts addressing the mechanisms underlying optimal migration. We welcome empirical and theoretical works exploring, navigation, ecology, and behavior at stop-over sites, and adaptations at multiple levels, both morphological, physiological, and behavioral. We are also interested in the endogenous background of migration, including both ultimate and proximate control. Suggested themes include but are not limited to:
• Use of novel methodology in the lab or field, such as metabolomics, molecular ecology, ultrasound, electromagnetic coils and magnetic resonance to explore orientation and navigation mechanisms, fueling patterns, and hormonal control of departure decisions
• Field experiments including the manipulation of food, predation risk, or other factors to test decision making in staging birds at stop-over sites
• Meta-analysis of bird density, diversity, body condition, and stopover duration, from ringing data sets across large units of space and time
• Theoretical and mathematical models addressing overall and specific questions on optimal migration
• Use of novel methods of long-distance tracking to analyze optimal migration routes and in-flight behavior
• Effects of management and conservation of stop-over sites
Keywords: Migration, Stopover, Navigation, Ecophysiology
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