responses of migratory birds to climate change and habitat alteration

428 Pages·2017·6.19 MB·English

by  Federica Musitelli

SCUOLA DI DOTTORATO
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO-BICOCCA

Department of
Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences

PhD program Life Sciences Cycle XXIX
Curriculum in Biology (Morfo-funcional)

Aves remores:
responses of migratory birds to climate change
and habitat alteration

Surname: Musitelli Nome: Federica
Registration number 072546

Tutor: Dr. Roberto Ambrosini
Coordinator: Prof. Marco Ercole Vanoni

ACADEMIC YEAR 2016/2017
University of Milano-Bicocca
Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences
PhD program: Life Sciences – XXIX Cycle

Aves remores:
responses of migratory birds
to climate change and habitat alteration

Federica Musitelli
Matr. 072546

Academic Year 2016 – 2017
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Abstract

Index

Abstract ..................................................................................................... 7
Riassunto ................................................................................................. 10
General introduction .............................................................................. 13
1.1 Bird migration ...................................................................... 14
1.2 Migratory connectivity and seasonal interactions ............ 19
1.3 “Winged sentinels”: impact of environmental conditions on
avian migrators .................................................................... 25
1.3.1. Climate change ..................................................................... 26
1.3.2. Environmental changes ....................................................... 32
1.4 Ringing data in the study of bird migration ...................... 35
1.5 Avian microbiomes .............................................................. 39
1.6 Begging behaviour ................................................................ 41
1.7 Thesis structures .................................................................. 43
1.8 Study species ......................................................................... 46
1.8.1. The Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica, Linnaeus 1758) ........ 47
1.8.2. The Common swift (Apus apus, Linnaeus 1758) ............... 51
1.8.3. European robin (Erithacus rubecula, Linnaeus 1758) ...... 54
2
Index

PART I ..................................................................................................... 56
Chapter 2 Representing migration routes from re-encounter data: a
new method applied to ring recoveries of Barn swallows (Hirundo
rustica) in Europe ................................................................................... 57
2.1 Abstract ................................................................................. 59
2.2 Introduction .......................................................................... 61
2.3 Methods ................................................................................. 64
2.4 Results ................................................................................... 74
2.5 Discussion .............................................................................. 93
2.6 Acknowledgments ................................................................ 99
2.7 References ........................................................................... 100
Chapter 3 Environmental conditions at arrival to the wintering
grounds and during spring migration affect population dynamics of
Barn swallows Hirundo rustica breeding in Northern Italy ............. 106
3.1 Abstract ............................................................................... 107
3.2 Introduction ........................................................................ 109
3.3 Methods ............................................................................... 113
3.4 Results ................................................................................. 125
3.5 Discussion ............................................................................ 128
3.6 Acknowledgments .............................................................. 137
3
Index

3.7 References ........................................................................... 138
Chapter 4 Migratory connectivity and effects of winter temperatures
on migratory behaviour of the European robin Erithacus rubecula: a
continent-wide analysis ........................................................................ 143
4.1 Abstract ............................................................................... 145
4.2 Introduction ........................................................................ 146
4.3 Materials and Methods ...................................................... 150
4.4 Results ................................................................................. 159
4.5 Discussion ............................................................................ 170
4.6 Acknowledgments .............................................................. 180
4.7 References ........................................................................... 182
PART II ................................................................................................. 186
Chapter 5 Effects of livestock farming on birds of rural areas in Europe
................................................................................................................ 187
5.1 Abstract ............................................................................... 188
5.2 Introduction ........................................................................ 189
5.3 Methods ............................................................................... 193
5.4 Results ................................................................................. 206
5.5 Discussion ............................................................................ 210
5.6 Acknowlegments ................................................................. 215
4
Index

5.7 References ........................................................................... 215
Chapter 6 Cloacal microbiota of Barn swallows from Northern Italy
................................................................................................................ 221
6.1 Abstract ............................................................................... 222
6.2 Introduction ........................................................................ 223
6.3 Methods ............................................................................... 225
6.4 Results ................................................................................. 230
6.5 Discussion ............................................................................ 234
6.6 Acknowledgments .............................................................. 238
6.7 References ........................................................................... 239
Chapter 7 Common swift feather microbiota described by high
throughput DNA sequencing ............................................................... 242
7.1 Abstract ............................................................................... 243
7.2 Introduction ........................................................................ 244
7.3 Methods ............................................................................... 246
7.4 Results ................................................................................. 254
7.5 Discussion ............................................................................ 260
7.6 Aknowledgments ................................................................ 263
7.7 References ........................................................................... 264
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Index

Chapter 8 Parent-absent begging in Barn swallow broods: causes of
individual variation and effects on sibling interactions and food
allocation ............................................................................................... 269
8.1 Abstract ............................................................................... 270
8.2 Introduction ........................................................................ 271
8.3 Materials and Methods ...................................................... 276
8.4 Results ................................................................................. 285
8.5 Discussion ............................................................................ 293
8.6 References ........................................................................... 300
General discussion ................................................................................ 305
Conclusions ........................................................................................... 316
References ............................................................................................. 319
Acknowledgments ................................................................................. 339
Supplementary materials ..................................................................... 340

6
Abstract

Abstract
Climate change and habitat modification are the main anthropogenic causes
of the alarming loss of the worldwide biodiversity. Birds are considered
excellent indicators of the consequence of the ongoing global
environmental change because they are highly visible due to diurnal
lifestyle, mobile, and widespread in almost all habitats. Migratory birds, in
particular, are considered particularly sensitive to these changes because
they experience divergent patterns of change in ecological conditions in the
areas where they spend different phases of their annual life-cycle.
The present dissertation investigates the multifaceted effects of climate
change and habitat alteration on migratory birds. In particular, it provides
empirical evidence of how migrants are affected by and react to variability
in the ecological conditions at non-breeding grounds and during migration
journeys.
First, I propose a novel automatized method for representing migration
routes through the analyses of mark-recaptures data. The procedure tested
on the Barn swallow ring-recoveries was able to reconstruct patterns of
migration consistent with previous knowledge on this species. This study
thus discloses the possibility to use the method on other less-studied species
and emphasized the often-unexploited informative values of ringing data.
Second, I investigate how general ecological conditions (summarized
by indices of primary productivity) experienced by Barn swallows in their
sub-Saharan non-breeding ranges and during migratory journeys affect the
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Abstract

population dynamic of the species. Results indicate that the arrival at the
non-breeding ground and at a key passage area along spring migration route
were the most critical phases of the annual life-cycle of this long-distance
migrant. In a further study based on ring recoveries, I find that, in the partial
migrator European robin, the proportion of individuals that migrate, and
the distance travelled by birds from migratory population decrease during
milder winter temperatures at the breeding grounds. These studies indicate
that environmental conditions during non-reproductive season may
strongly affect migratory behaviour of both long and short-distance
migrants with significant impact on demographical trends and
distributions. Moreover, a degree of variability of phenological responses
among populations is observed.
Third, through a quantitative meta-analysis of the existing literature, I
investigate the effect of livestock farming on farmland birds, a group of
birds that are suffering sharp declines in Europe in recent decades. This
study confirms that abandonment of livestock has negative effects on Barn
swallow abundance and reproduction, but not on other farmland birds. An
experimental test of food deprivation on Barn swallow nestlings further
confirms that resources availability at breeding sites can alter nestling
begging behaviour and intra-brood interactions with potential
consequences on their quality.
Finally, I contribute to the characterization of the gut microbiome of
the Barn swallow and of the plumage bacteria of the Common swift.
8
Abstract

Results suggest that studies of bird microbiomes, despite they are still in
their infancy, may be relevant for investigating the ecology of migration.

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