Extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird
Abstract Understanding the distribution of breeding populations of migratory animals in the non-breeding period (migratory connectivity) is important for understanding their response to environmental change. High connectivity (low non-breeding population dispersion) may lower resilience to climate c...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86484-z |
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| author | Máire Kirkland Nathaniel N. D. Annorbah Lee Barber John Black Jeremy Blackburn Michael Colley Gary Clewley Colin Cross Mike Drew Oliver J. L. Fox Vicky Gilson Steffen Hahn Chas Holt Mark F. Hulme John Jarjou Dembo Jatta Emmanuel Jatta Kevin Leighton Ernestina Mensah-Pebi Chris Orsman Naffie Sarr Roger Walsh Leo Zwarts Robert J. Fuller Philip W. Atkinson Chris M. Hewson |
| author_facet | Máire Kirkland Nathaniel N. D. Annorbah Lee Barber John Black Jeremy Blackburn Michael Colley Gary Clewley Colin Cross Mike Drew Oliver J. L. Fox Vicky Gilson Steffen Hahn Chas Holt Mark F. Hulme John Jarjou Dembo Jatta Emmanuel Jatta Kevin Leighton Ernestina Mensah-Pebi Chris Orsman Naffie Sarr Roger Walsh Leo Zwarts Robert J. Fuller Philip W. Atkinson Chris M. Hewson |
| author_sort | Máire Kirkland |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Understanding the distribution of breeding populations of migratory animals in the non-breeding period (migratory connectivity) is important for understanding their response to environmental change. High connectivity (low non-breeding population dispersion) may lower resilience to climate change and increase vulnerability to habitat loss within their range. Very high levels of connectivity are reportedly rare, but this conclusion may be limited by methodology. Using multiple tracking methods, we demonstrate extremely high connectivity in a strongly declining, peripheral breeding population of a long-distance migrant, the Common Nightingale in the UK. Non-breeding population dispersion is lower than for previously tracked populations of this and other species and likely lower than can usually be detected by light-level geolocation, the main tracking method for small bodied species. Extremely low levels of population mixing were also detected, so any impacts on this population on the non-breeding grounds are unlikely to be shared with more distant breeding populations, corresponding to the observed patterns of European population change. According to a species distribution model using independent field data, this population’s non-breeding grounds had lower suitability than others and likely declined before the period we were able to assess. These results support hypotheses that climatic and habitat-related deterioration of non-breeding grounds contributes to population declines in peripheral and high-connectivity breeding populations of long-distance migrants, including the one studied here. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-35e58f5474af4721b81fef441c0d07c7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-35e58f5474af4721b81fef441c0d07c72025-02-02T12:16:07ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111710.1038/s41598-025-86484-zExtreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory birdMáire Kirkland0Nathaniel N. D. Annorbah1Lee Barber2John Black3Jeremy Blackburn4Michael Colley5Gary Clewley6Colin Cross7Mike Drew8Oliver J. L. Fox9Vicky Gilson10Steffen Hahn11Chas Holt12Mark F. Hulme13John Jarjou14Dembo Jatta15Emmanuel Jatta16Kevin Leighton17Ernestina Mensah-Pebi18Chris Orsman19Naffie Sarr20Roger Walsh21Leo Zwarts22Robert J. Fuller23Philip W. Atkinson24Chris M. Hewson25British Trust for OrnithologyGhana Wildlife Society, Accra Conservation Education CentreBritish Trust for OrnithologyBritish Trust for OrnithologyKartong Bird ObservatoryKartong Bird ObservatoryBritish Trust for OrnithologyKartong Bird ObservatoryAnglian Water Services LimitedKartong Bird ObservatoryBritish Trust for OrnithologySwiss Ornithological InstituteBritish Trust for OrnithologyBritish Trust for OrnithologyKartong Bird ObservatoryKartong Bird ObservatoryKartong Bird ObservatoryBritish Trust for OrnithologyGhana Wildlife Society, Accra Conservation Education CentreRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds, The LodgeKartong Bird ObservatoryKartong Bird ObservatoryAltenburg and Wymenga Ecological ConsultantsBritish Trust for OrnithologyBritish Trust for OrnithologyBritish Trust for OrnithologyAbstract Understanding the distribution of breeding populations of migratory animals in the non-breeding period (migratory connectivity) is important for understanding their response to environmental change. High connectivity (low non-breeding population dispersion) may lower resilience to climate change and increase vulnerability to habitat loss within their range. Very high levels of connectivity are reportedly rare, but this conclusion may be limited by methodology. Using multiple tracking methods, we demonstrate extremely high connectivity in a strongly declining, peripheral breeding population of a long-distance migrant, the Common Nightingale in the UK. Non-breeding population dispersion is lower than for previously tracked populations of this and other species and likely lower than can usually be detected by light-level geolocation, the main tracking method for small bodied species. Extremely low levels of population mixing were also detected, so any impacts on this population on the non-breeding grounds are unlikely to be shared with more distant breeding populations, corresponding to the observed patterns of European population change. According to a species distribution model using independent field data, this population’s non-breeding grounds had lower suitability than others and likely declined before the period we were able to assess. These results support hypotheses that climatic and habitat-related deterioration of non-breeding grounds contributes to population declines in peripheral and high-connectivity breeding populations of long-distance migrants, including the one studied here.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86484-zMigratory connectivityMigratory networksHabitat suitabilityPopulation declineAfro-Palearctic migrantsNon-breeding grounds |
| spellingShingle | Máire Kirkland Nathaniel N. D. Annorbah Lee Barber John Black Jeremy Blackburn Michael Colley Gary Clewley Colin Cross Mike Drew Oliver J. L. Fox Vicky Gilson Steffen Hahn Chas Holt Mark F. Hulme John Jarjou Dembo Jatta Emmanuel Jatta Kevin Leighton Ernestina Mensah-Pebi Chris Orsman Naffie Sarr Roger Walsh Leo Zwarts Robert J. Fuller Philip W. Atkinson Chris M. Hewson Extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird Scientific Reports Migratory connectivity Migratory networks Habitat suitability Population decline Afro-Palearctic migrants Non-breeding grounds |
| title | Extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird |
| title_full | Extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird |
| title_fullStr | Extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird |
| title_short | Extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non-breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an Afro-Palearctic migratory bird |
| title_sort | extreme migratory connectivity and apparent mirroring of non breeding grounds conditions in a severely declining breeding population of an afro palearctic migratory bird |
| topic | Migratory connectivity Migratory networks Habitat suitability Population decline Afro-Palearctic migrants Non-breeding grounds |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86484-z |
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