Rapid advance of spring arrival dates in long-distance migratory birds.
Several bird species have advanced the timing of their spring migration in response to recent climate change. European short-distance migrants, wintering in temperate areas, have been assumed to be more affected by change in the European climate than long-distance migrants wintering in the tropics. However, we show that long-distance migrants have advanced their spring arrival in Scandinavia more than short-distance migrants. By analyzing a long-term data set from southern Italy, we show that long-distance migrants also pass through the Mediterranean region earlier. We argue that this may reflect a climate-driven evolutionary change in the timing of spring migration.
Jonzén
Niclas
N
Department of Theoretical Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, SE-22362 Lund, Sweden.
Lindén
Andreas
A
Ergon
Torbjørn
T
Knudsen
Endre
E
Vik
Jon Olav
JO
Rubolini
Diego
D
Piacentini
Dario
D
Brinch
Christian
C
Spina
Fernando
F
Karlsson
Lennart
L
Stervander
Martin
M
Andersson
Arne
A
Waldenström
Jonas
J
Lehikoinen
Aleksi
A
Edvardsen
Erik
E
Solvang
Rune
R
Stenseth
Nils Chr
NC
D000349:Africa; D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D002980:Climate; D003463:Cues; D005426:Flight, Animal; D007558:Italy; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D012621:Seasons