Modeling responses by long-distance migratory birds to past, present, and future changes in atmospheric circulation.
A variety of shorebird species that nest in Alaska undertake spectacular seasonal non-stop migrations that are aided by predictable winds. This modeling project will use temporal sampling (past, present, and future) to quantify the spatial variability and viability of winds throughout migration corridors that were previously identified through use of satellite telemetry. The overall objective is to learn the extent to which birds optimize use of winds during all phases of their flights.Abstract
This project has three principal activities: Activity 1. Quantify viability of corridors using temporal sampling: past, present, future Rationale and objective: As large-scale wind patterns change, the viability of flyways in the Pacific hemisphere is likely to change. We will evaluate the tail/headwind components for flight routes from Alaska to sites in the South Pacific (documented godwit and curlew flight tracks) by sampling 50-year timeslices for the five historical/present/future timeslices listed below in order to determine whether the present climatology is more or less favorable than the past (paleoclimate) periods or the projected future (late 21st century). We will determine whether other flight corridors may have been more advantageous in the past//future than during the present period. Activity 2. Assessment of optimization of timing of departures. Rationale and objective: Available data in the migration tracking archive (Movebank) identify the dates of departure of birds during the past several years (cf. also Gill et al., 2009, Proc. R. Soc. B). A fundamental question is: Do the birds optimize their departure dates with respect to weather patterns? By examining the head/tailwind index for alternative departure dates (+/- several days to a month), we may determine whether optimization has occurred. Activity 3: Teleconnection patterns relevant to variability of flight optimization Rationale and objective: Departure of godwits and curlews appears to be keyed to the west to east passage of low pressure centers across the Aleutians. Are these passages correlated with broader (remote) circulation features conducive to favorable flight conditions farther en route? Alternatively, if flight tracks are composed of favorable and unfavorable head/tailwind indices, how are these two categories of flight conditions manifested at the birds’ points of departure in Alaska? By examining teleconnections, we will attempt to shed light on the circulation patterns over the broader Pacific domain that are most critical to migratory success via favorable winds en route with special emphasis on the Aleutian Low.
Products
| Title | Type |
|---|---|
| Pacific shorebird migration project | Project Website |
Contacts
Gill, Robert E., 907.786.7184Status: completed
Start Year: 2012
End Year: 2014
Collaborators
University of Alaska FairbanksUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champain
USGS Mission Area and Program
Ecosystems → Wildlife ProgramMajor Initiatives
LCC - Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands Landscape Conservation CooperativeKeywords
Atmosphere > Atmospheric WindsPaleoclimate