title: Costs of migratory decisions: A comparison across eight white stork populations.
abstract: Annual migratory movements can range from a few tens to thousands of kilometers, creating unique energetic requirements for each specific species and journey. Even within the same species, migration costs can vary largely because of flexible, opportunistic life history strategies. We uncover the large extent of variation in the lifetime migratory decisions of young white storks originating from eight populations. Not only did juvenile storks differ in their geographically distinct wintering locations, their diverse migration patterns also affected the amount of energy individuals invested for locomotion during the first months of their life. Overwintering in areas with higher human population reduced the stork's overall energy expenditure because of shorter daily foraging trips, closer wintering grounds, or a complete suppression of migration. Because migrants can change ecological processes in several distinct communities simultaneously, understanding their life history decisions helps not only to protect migratory species but also to conserve stable ecosystems.
authors: Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany.; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Flack
authors: Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany.; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Fiedler
authors: Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Seville, Spain.
authors: Julio
authors: J
authors: Blas
authors: Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany.; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Pokrovsky
authors: Vogelschutzwarte Storchenhof Loburg e.V., 39279 Loburg, Germany.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Kaatz
authors: Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia.
authors: Maxim
authors: M
authors: Mitropolsky
authors: Acopian Center for the Environment, American University of Armenia, Yerevan 0019, Armenia.
authors: Karen
authors: 0000-0002-8464-9645
authors: K
authors: Aghababyan
authors: Evros Delta Management Authority, Alexandroupoli 68100, Greece.
authors: Ioannis
authors: 0000-0001-7180-3642
authors: I
authors: Fakriadis
authors: Evros Delta Management Authority, Alexandroupoli 68100, Greece.
authors: Eleni
authors: E
authors: Makrigianni
authors: Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Institute of Biotechnology and Environment Protection, 65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland.
authors: Leszek
authors: L
authors: Jerzak
authors: Association Les Amis des Oiseaux-BirdLife Tunisia, Aryanah 2080, Tunisia.
authors: Hichem
authors: H
authors: Azafzaf
authors: Association Les Amis des Oiseaux-BirdLife Tunisia, Aryanah 2080, Tunisia.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Feltrup-Azafzaf
authors: Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
authors: Shay
authors: S
authors: Rotics
authors: School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050 Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors: Thabiso M
authors: TM
authors: Mokotjomela
authors: Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
authors: Ran
authors: R
authors: Nathan
authors: Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany.; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Wikelski
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005843:Geography; D012621:Seasons
keywords: Animal movement; White storks; acceleration; energy expenditure; high-resolution GPS; lifetime tracking; migration costs; population comparison