title: Changes in spring arrival dates and temperature sensitivity of migratory birds over two centuries.
abstract: Long-term phenological data have been crucial at documenting the effects of climate change in organisms. However, in most animal taxa, time series length seldom exceeds 35 years. Therefore, we have limited evidence on animal responses to climate prior to the recent warm period. To fill in this gap, we present time series of mean first arrival dates to Central Europe for 13 bird species spanning 183 years (1828-2010). We found a uniform trend of arrival dates advancing in the most recent decades (since the late 1970s). Interestingly, birds were arriving earlier during the cooler early part of the nineteenth century than in the recent warm period. Temperature sensitivity was slightly stronger in the warmest 30-year period (-1.70 ± SD 0.47 day °C-1) than in the coldest period (-1.42 ± SD 0.89 day °C-1); however, the difference was not statistically significant. In the most recent decades, the temperature sensitivity of both short- and long-distance migrants significantly increased. Our results demonstrate how centennial time series can provide a much more comprehensive perspective on avian responses to climate change.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 77146, Olomouc, Czech Republic. evakolar@seznam.cz.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kolářová
authors.affiliation: Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matiu
authors.affiliation: Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.|Institute for Advanced Study, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstraße 2a, 85748, Garching, Germany.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menzel
authors.affiliation: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Na Šabatce 17, 143 06, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nekovář
authors.affiliation: Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, 276 01, Mělník, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lumpe
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 77146, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Adamík
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature
keywords: First arrival date; Migratory birds; Phenology; Temperature; Temperature sensitivity