The impacts of environmental variability and climate change on the migration and breeding phenology of a long-distance migratory songbird
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Date
2017
Authors
Shave, Amanda
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Abstract
Climate change is advancing spring phenology but it remains unclear whether migratory birds are able to adjust their timing to match these changes. Purple martins (Progne subis) are long-distance migrants, and part of a functional taxon (aerial insectivores) that are undergoing population declines. My objectives were to: 1) determine if environmental variability during spring migration predicts individual timing of migration, and 2) determine if laying date is phenotypically plastic to spring temperatures. I found that spring migration phenology was not predicted by environmental factors and individual martins had repeatable spring migration timing. Laying date was earlier with warmer temperatures, fledgling numbers increased with earlier laying dates, and selection pressure for earlier breeding did not change with temperature. Overall, my results suggest that timing is constrained through much of the annual cycle, but purple martins can adjust to current climate conditions by varying their laying date with temperature during the breeding period.
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Keywords
Purple Martin, Progne subis, Climate Change, Breeding Phenology, Migration Phenology, Citizen Science