Endogenous Rhythms of Seasonal Migratory Body Mass Changes and Nocturnal Restlessness in Different Populations of Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Abstract

The Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is a migratory bird species that shows different strategies of migration between populations, adapted to cope with different ecological barriers. This raises the question whether and to which extent these adaptations are endogenously determined. We studied seasonal patterns of body mass change and nocturnal restlessness in wheatears from Iceland, which face an initial sea crossing of at least 800 km; from Norway, which fly a similar distance as Icelandic birds but without a long sea crossing; and from Morocco, which fly a shorter distance to reach their wintering grounds. To isolate the endogenous component of the regulation of these migratory traits, we kept the wheatears in a “common garden,” all 3 populations experiencing the same environmental conditions and a constant photoperiod during their first year of life. Icelandic birds showed a greater increase of their body mass in autumn than the other 2 populations, indicating preparation for the initial barrier crossing. The autumnal timing of nocturnal restlessness and the total activity during autumn were related to the distance to be covered, although the differences between populations were smaller than expected. In all 3 populations, body mass increased to a greater extent in autumn than in spring, whereas nocturnal activity was higher in spring than in autumn. This suggests that the endogenous program responds to specific seasonal needs, with more time invested in storing fuel for a safe journey in autumn and more time invested in flying to reach the breeding grounds early in spring. Contrary to expectations, the timing of onset of body mass increase and nocturnal restlessness in spring did not differ between populations. This might be explained by the lack of external cues, most likely photoperiod, which are responsible for the fine tuning of the expression of migratory behavior.