title: Bird Migration and Avian Influenza: A Comparison of Hydrogen Stable Isotopes and Satellite Tracking Methods.
abstract: Satellite-based tracking of migratory waterfowl is an important tool for understanding the potential role of wild birds in the long-distance transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza. However, employing this technique on a continental scale is prohibitively expensive. This study explores the utility of stable isotope ratios in feathers in examining both the distances traveled by migratory birds and variation in migration behavior. We compared the satellite-derived movement data of 22 ducks from 8 species captured at wintering areas in Bangladesh, Turkey, and Hong Kong with deuterium ratios (δD) of these and other individuals captured at the same locations. We derived likely molting locations from the satellite tracking data and generated expected isotope ratios based on an interpolated map of δD in rainwater. Although δD was correlated with the distance between wintering and molting locations, surprisingly, measured δD values were not correlated with either expected values or latitudes of molting sites. However, population-level parameters derived from the satellite-tracking data, such as mean distance between wintering and molting locations and variation in migration distance, were reflected by means and variation of the stable isotope values. Our findings call into question the relevance of the rainfall isotope map for Asia for linking feather isotopes to molting locations, and underscore the need for extensive ground truthing in the form of feather-based isoscapes. Nevertheless, stable isotopes from feathers could inform disease models by characterizing the degree to which regional breeding populations interact at common wintering locations. Feather isotopes also could aid in surveying wintering locations to determine where high-resolution tracking techniques (e.g. satellite tracking) could most effectively be employed. Moreover, intrinsic markers such as stable isotopes offer the only means of inferring movement information from birds that have died as a result of infection. In the absence of feather based-isoscapes, we recommend a combination of isotope analysis and satellite-tracking as the best means of generating aggregate movement data for informing disease models.
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, 111 E. Chesapeake St., Norman, OK 73019, USA. Phone +01 (405) 325-2658.
authors.forename: Eli S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Bridge
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, 111 E. Chesapeake St., Norman, OK 73019, USA. Phone +01 (405) 325-2658.
authors.forename: Jeffrey F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Center for Spatial Analysis and Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Oklahoma, 101 David L Boren Blvd., Norman, OK 73019, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, 505 Azuar Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA.
authors.forename: John Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Takekawa
authors.affiliation: U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, 505 Azuar Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA.
authors.forename: Nichola J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, 3 Floor DLS, Farmgate, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamage
authors.affiliation: Bangladesh Bird Club, House 11, Road 4, Banani DOHS, Dhaka 1206, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Enam Ul
authors.initials: EU
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh ; Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh, Cosmos Centre, 69/1 New Circular Road, Malibagh, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mohammad Anwarul
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Wetlands International, Horapark (2nd floor), 6717 LZ Ede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Taej
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mundkur
authors.affiliation: Ornithological Research Centre, Ondokuz Mayis University, 55139 Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kiraz Erciyas
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.affiliation: AEC Ltd, 127 Commercial Centre, Palm Springs, Yuen Long, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leader
authors.affiliation: Center of Influenza Research, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Connie Y H
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: The World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong, Mai Po Marshes Wildlife Education Centre and Nature Reserve, Mai Po, Yuen Long, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Bena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Francisco Bay Estuary Field Station, 505 Azuar Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA.
authors.forename: Kyle A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Spragens
authors.affiliation: EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001, USA ; The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 16802, USA ; The Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St # 14 New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vandegrift
authors.affiliation: EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001, USA.
authors.forename: Parviez R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh, Cosmos Centre, 69/1 New Circular Road, Malibagh, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saif
authors.affiliation: Bangladesh Bird Club, House 11, Road 4, Banani DOHS, Dhaka 1206, Bangladesh ; Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh, Cosmos Centre, 69/1 New Circular Road, Malibagh, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Samiul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohsanin
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, (ICDDR,B), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mikolon
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, (ICDDR,B), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Ausrafal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Public Health Center, Corporation of Kochi, Kaloor Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Acty
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai 400 001, India.
authors.forename: Balachandran
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sivananinthaperumal
authors.affiliation: EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Daszak
authors.affiliation: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy 00153.
authors.forename: Scott H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Newman
keywords: connectivity; deuterium; disease modeling; disease vector; epidemiology; geographical indicators; waterfowl