Abrupt switch to migratory night flight in a wild migratory songbird.
Every year, billions of wild diurnal songbirds migrate at night. To do so, they shift their daily rhythm from diurnality to nocturnality. In captivity this is observed as a gradual transition of daytime activity developing into nocturnal activity, but how wild birds prepare their daily rhythms for migration remains largely unknown. Using an automated radio-telemetry system, we compared activity patterns of free-living migrant and resident European blackbirds (Turdus merula) in a partially migratory population during the pre-migratory season. We found that activity patterns between migrant and resident birds did not differ during day and night. Migrants did not change their daily rhythm in a progressive manner as has been observed in captivity, but instead abruptly became active during the night of departure. The rapid shift in rhythmicity might be more common across migratory songbird species, but may not have been observed before in wild animals due to a lack of technology.
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.|University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany.
Daniel
D
Zúñiga
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.|University of Glasgow, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary &Life Sciences, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, UK.
Jade
J
Falconer
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.|University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany.|Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
Adam M
AM
Fudickar
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, D-82319 Seewiesen, Germany.
Willi
W
Jensen
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.
Andreas
A
Schmidt
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.|University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany.
Martin
M
Wikelski
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.|University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany.
Jesko
J
Partecke
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