SE- and SW-migrating Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) populations in Central Europe: Orientation of birds in the contact zone

In the Blackcap (Aves: Sylvia atricapilla), a widespread passerine noctural migrant, a “migratory divide” between SE- and SW-migrating populations exists in Central Europe at about 14° E and south of 52° N. The autumn migratory directions are known to have a genetic basis and are expressed in orientation cages in captivity. Migratory directions of birds in the contact zone between the two populations were studied by analysing ringing data and by testing three groups of hand-raised individuals in orientation cages. Available ringing data are insufficient to establish migratory directions in the contact zone north of the Alps. Hand-raised birds from south-west Germany and the most eastern part of Austria oriented SW and SE, respectively, confirming directions known from ringing recoveries. A sample of birds from the contact zone near Linz (Austria) oriented SW to NW (mean = 268°) and was significantly different from both adjoining populations. This contrasts with results of a cross-breeding experiment with mixed pairs of SW- and SE-migrants bred in captivity: The F1-offspring chose southerly directions, intermediate between both parental populations (Helbig, 1991). It is suggested, therefore, that a distinct subpopulation with a large fraction of birds wintering in the British Isles has established itself in the contact zone. Differences in directional choices between groups of siblings from this area indicate that intrapopulation genetic variability is present. This may have led to a rapid spread of the novel W-NW migratory direction, because north of the Alps strong selection seems to be acting against mixing of SE- with SW-migrating populations.     

Fluctuating asymmetry in Sardinian Warblers Sylvia melanocephala inhabiting two shrublands affected by fire

The effects of post-fire changes in vegetation and habitat quality on the developmental stability of individual birds have not been assessed to date. Here we compare fluctuating asymmetry in tail feathers of Sardinian Warblers Sylvia melanocephala inhabiting two shrubby zones, the first burned in both 1982 and 1994 and the second only in 1982. Juveniles with unmoulted rectrices showed significantly higher levels of tail feather asymmetry in the zone burned in 1994. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that recently burned shrublands offer lower quality habitats for this species. Because feather asymmetry was positively and significantly related to the abundance of low shrubs up to 50 cm tall, we suggest that juvenile assessment of habitat quality is primarily based on the structure of the shrub layer.     

Bird mitochondrial gene order: insight from 3 warbler mitochondrial genomes

Two main gene orders exist in birds: the ancestral gene order and the remnant control region (CR) 2 gene order. These gene orders differ by the presence of 1 or 2 copies of the CR, respectively. Among songbirds, Oscines were thought to follow the ancestral gene order, with the exception of the lyrebird and Phylloscopus warblers. Here, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of 3 non-Phylloscopus warblers species and found that the blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) and the reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) have 2 almost identical copies of the CR, whereas the eastern orphean warbler (Sylvia crassirostris) follows the remnant CR 2 gene order. Our results contradict previous studies suggesting that Acrocephalus and most sylvioid warblers exhibit the ancestral gene order. We were able to trace this contradiction to a misidentification of gene order from polymerase chain reaction length determination. We thus suggest that passerine gene order evolution needs to be revised.     

Seasonal differences in energy requirements of Garden Warblers Sylvia borin migrating across the Sahara desert

The Sahara desert acts as an ecological barrier for billions of passerine birds on their way to and from their African wintering areas. The Garden Warbler Sylvia borin is one of the most common migrants involved. We used body mass of this species from Greece in autumn and spring to simulate the desert crossing and to assess how body mass relates to fuel requirement. The flight range estimates were adjusted to the seasonal extent of the desert, 2200 km in autumn and about 2800 km in spring. In autumn, with an average fuel load of about 100% of body mass without fuel, birds were not able to cross the desert in still air, but northerly winds prevail during September and with the average wind assistance only one in 14 was predicted to fail to make the crossing. Body mass data from spring, after the desert crossing, was used to estimate departure body mass from south of the desert. The average wind assistance in spring is close to zero and departure body mass of the average bird arriving at Antikythira, a small Greek island, under such conditions was estimated to be 34.6 g, which corresponded to a fuel load of 116%. Calculations based on 1% body mass loss per hour of flight showed slightly larger body mass loss than that calculated from flight range estimates. The results suggest that passerine birds about to cross the eastern part of the Sahara desert need to attain a larger fuel load in spring than in autumn.     

陕西红碱淖白喉林莺繁殖生态

2012~2013年每年的4~7月,在陕西神木县红碱淖(39°04'21″~39°04'43″N,109°53'12″~109°53'40″E)对白喉林莺(Sylvia curruca)的繁殖生态进行了研究。结果表明,白喉林莺4月末迁来繁殖,5月初开始营巢于油蒿(Artemisia ordosia)、臭柏(Sabina vulgaris)和沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoides)灌丛中,巢口向上呈深杯状,巢由柳絮、枯枝和干草编织而成。对33个巢的参数进行了测量,巢外径(9.62±0.227)cm,巢内径(5.21±0.084)cm,巢深(5.05±0.160)cm,巢高(9.03±0.185)cm,巢距地面高度(24.91±1.084)cm,巢约位于植株高度的1/3处(由下而上)。营巢成功率为77.1%(n=35),窝卵数4~5枚(n=27),卵重(7.49±0.021)g,卵长径(17.27±0.057)mm,卵短径(12.86±0.080)mm(n=130)。孵化期为11~13 d,孵化率为93.1%,雏鸟出飞为90.9%。雏鸟的形态参数生长符合Logistic曲线方程拟合。植被高度、植被盖度和单株植物冠径是制约白喉林莺巢址选择的主要因素,同时恶劣天气和人为干扰是影响繁殖成效的主要原因。     

Migratory behaviour affects the trade-off between feather growth rate and feather quality in a passerine bird

Migratory birds have less time for moulting than sedentary birds, which may force them to produce their feathers faster at the expense of reducing feather quality. However, the effects of migration on the trade-off between moult speed and plumage quality remain to be studied in natural populations. We analysed the relationship between growth rate and quality of individual feathers, taking advantage of natural variation between migratory and sedentary populations of blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla . As predicted by life-history theory, individual blackcaps showed variable individual quality, which was revealed by positive correlations between feather growth rate and feather mass within populations. However, migrants grew up their feathers faster, producing lighter feathers than sedentary blackcaps. These results support the idea that feather growth rate and feather quality are traded against each other in blackcaps. Such a trade-off is apparently caused by different selection associated to migratory and sedentary life styles, which opens new insights into the diversification of moult patterns in birds.  © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 97 , 98–105.