The ecomorphological role of wings in migration performance and wing morphometric growth rates in ectoparasite-reduced nests
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Date
2017
Authors
Lam, Lawrence
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Abstract
Wings have an ecomorphological role in migration, but how morphology affects migration has not been demonstrated in a natural environment. Selection is expected to favour a high-speed wing profile, but ecological interactions during growth may interfere with wing development. Using purple martins (Progne subis) as a model species, the objectives of this thesis were to 1) determine whether wing morphology, migration timing, and/or environmental factors were useful predictors of spring migration performance, and 2) examine wing growth rates of nestlings under different nest-ectoparasite conditions. Departure timing and temperature, but not wing morphology, reliably predicted spring migration performance. Growth rates of nestlings varied between nests but overall wing morphology nearing fledging was similar among all nestlings. If differences in wing morphology at fledging arising from ecological interactions during growth are negligible, then migration performance is less dependent on morphological parameters and more dependent on migration timing.
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Keywords
Biology, Ornithology, Migration