Annual migratory movement, apparent molt-migration, migration schedule, and diffuse migratory connectivity of Hermit Warblers

Quantifying migratory connectivity and annual movement is key to sound conservation planning for migratory species. Hermit Warblers ( Setophaga occidentalis ) are an endemic-breeding species in the Pacific Northwest that winters in Mexico and the Central Americas. This species faces threats from mat...

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Main Authors: Hankyu Kim, Rodney B. Siegel, Jaime L Stephens, Joan C. Hagar, Brett J Furnas, Min-Su Jeong, Brenda C. McComb, Matthew G. Betts
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Resilience Alliance 2024-12-01
Series:Avian Conservation and Ecology
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Online Access:https://www.ace-eco.org/vol19/iss2/art6
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author Hankyu Kim
Rodney B. Siegel
Jaime L Stephens
Joan C. Hagar
Brett J Furnas
Min-Su Jeong
Brenda C. McComb
Matthew G. Betts
author_facet Hankyu Kim
Rodney B. Siegel
Jaime L Stephens
Joan C. Hagar
Brett J Furnas
Min-Su Jeong
Brenda C. McComb
Matthew G. Betts
author_sort Hankyu Kim
collection DOAJ
description Quantifying migratory connectivity and annual movement is key to sound conservation planning for migratory species. Hermit Warblers ( Setophaga occidentalis ) are an endemic-breeding species in the Pacific Northwest that winters in Mexico and the Central Americas. This species faces threats from mature forest loss and climate change throughout its range, but we know little about its migration ecology. To understand the annual movements and migratory connectivity of Hermit Warblers, we tracked 22 adult male Hermit Warblers from six breeding sites across the species’ breeding range using geolocators to examine migratory connectivity, spatiotemporal patterns, and migration routes. We found a high degree of mixing on the wintering grounds among birds from different breeding locations, indicating low migratory connectivity. However, birds breeding in Yosemite, the southernmost breeding location in our study, wintered farther east and south than birds from more northern breeding locations, providing weak evidence for potential chain migration. All birds showed much shorter and faster movements during spring migration than during fall migration. Birds arrived at breeding grounds from late April to mid-May and left breeding ranges from late June to mid-July. In fall, birds moved slowly from the breeding locations to montane regions in southern Oregon and California, which may indicate post-breeding molt before swiftly migrating to wintering grounds. Low migratory connectivity in this species implies that habitat and climate change across the broad wintering range may affect breeding populations throughout the species’ breeding range. A particularly compressed breeding schedule and departure of birds from the breeding grounds in early July may indicate that breeding is limited by a short window of favorable climatic conditions for breeding, which could signal heightened vulnerability under future climatic scenarios.
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spelling doaj-art-d45c669bb1384a318904c0f4ec6c3da42024-12-31T13:26:21ZengResilience AllianceAvian Conservation and Ecology1712-65682024-12-01192610.5751/ACE-02622-1902062622Annual migratory movement, apparent molt-migration, migration schedule, and diffuse migratory connectivity of Hermit WarblersHankyu Kim0Rodney B. Siegel1Jaime L Stephens2Joan C. Hagar3Brett J Furnas4Min-Su Jeong5Brenda C. McComb6Matthew G. Betts7Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USAThe Institute for Bird Populations, Petaluma, California, USAKlamath Bird Observatory, Ashland, Oregon, USAU.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, USACalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sacramento, California, USAResearch Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, KoreaDepartment of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USADepartment of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USAQuantifying migratory connectivity and annual movement is key to sound conservation planning for migratory species. Hermit Warblers ( Setophaga occidentalis ) are an endemic-breeding species in the Pacific Northwest that winters in Mexico and the Central Americas. This species faces threats from mature forest loss and climate change throughout its range, but we know little about its migration ecology. To understand the annual movements and migratory connectivity of Hermit Warblers, we tracked 22 adult male Hermit Warblers from six breeding sites across the species’ breeding range using geolocators to examine migratory connectivity, spatiotemporal patterns, and migration routes. We found a high degree of mixing on the wintering grounds among birds from different breeding locations, indicating low migratory connectivity. However, birds breeding in Yosemite, the southernmost breeding location in our study, wintered farther east and south than birds from more northern breeding locations, providing weak evidence for potential chain migration. All birds showed much shorter and faster movements during spring migration than during fall migration. Birds arrived at breeding grounds from late April to mid-May and left breeding ranges from late June to mid-July. In fall, birds moved slowly from the breeding locations to montane regions in southern Oregon and California, which may indicate post-breeding molt before swiftly migrating to wintering grounds. Low migratory connectivity in this species implies that habitat and climate change across the broad wintering range may affect breeding populations throughout the species’ breeding range. A particularly compressed breeding schedule and departure of birds from the breeding grounds in early July may indicate that breeding is limited by a short window of favorable climatic conditions for breeding, which could signal heightened vulnerability under future climatic scenarios.https://www.ace-eco.org/vol19/iss2/art6chain migrationgeolocation by lightlandbirdmigratory connectivitymigration patternpacific northwestpost-breeding molt
spellingShingle Hankyu Kim
Rodney B. Siegel
Jaime L Stephens
Joan C. Hagar
Brett J Furnas
Min-Su Jeong
Brenda C. McComb
Matthew G. Betts
Annual migratory movement, apparent molt-migration, migration schedule, and diffuse migratory connectivity of Hermit Warblers
Avian Conservation and Ecology
chain migration
geolocation by light
landbird
migratory connectivity
migration pattern
pacific northwest
post-breeding molt
title Annual migratory movement, apparent molt-migration, migration schedule, and diffuse migratory connectivity of Hermit Warblers
title_full Annual migratory movement, apparent molt-migration, migration schedule, and diffuse migratory connectivity of Hermit Warblers
title_fullStr Annual migratory movement, apparent molt-migration, migration schedule, and diffuse migratory connectivity of Hermit Warblers
title_full_unstemmed Annual migratory movement, apparent molt-migration, migration schedule, and diffuse migratory connectivity of Hermit Warblers
title_short Annual migratory movement, apparent molt-migration, migration schedule, and diffuse migratory connectivity of Hermit Warblers
title_sort annual migratory movement apparent molt migration migration schedule and diffuse migratory connectivity of hermit warblers
topic chain migration
geolocation by light
landbird
migratory connectivity
migration pattern
pacific northwest
post-breeding molt
url https://www.ace-eco.org/vol19/iss2/art6
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