Experience drives innovation of new migration patterns of whooping cranes in response to global change.
Anthropogenic changes in climate and land use are driving changes in migration patterns of birds worldwide. Spatial changes in migration have been related to long-term temperature trends, but the intrinsic mechanisms by which migratory species adapt to environmental change remain largely unexplored. We show that, for a long-lived social species, older birds with more experience are critical for innovating new migration behaviours. Groups containing older, more experienced individuals establish new overwintering sites closer to the breeding grounds, leading to a rapid population-level shift in migration patterns. Furthermore, these new overwintering sites are in areas where changes in climate have increased temperatures and where food availability from agriculture is high, creating favourable conditions for overwintering. Our results reveal that the age structure of populations is critical for the behavioural mechanisms that allow species to adapt to global change, particularly for long-lived animals, where changes in behaviour can occur faster than evolution.
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.|Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
Claire S
CS
Teitelbaum
US Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708, USA.
Sarah J
SJ
Converse
Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
William F
WF
Fagan
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.|Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
Katrin
K
Böhning-Gaese
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.
Robert B
RB
O'Hara
International Crane Foundation, P.O. Box 447, E-11376 Shady Lane Road, Baraboo, Wisconsin 53913, USA.
Anne E
AE
Lacy
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany.|Department of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
Thomas
T
Mueller
D000375:Aging; D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D057231:Climate Change; D004777:Environment; D012621:Seasons; D014481:United States