Testing an emerging paradigm in migration ecology shows surprising differences in efficiency between flight modes.

PloS One
Adam E DuerrTodd Katzner

Abstract

To maximize fitness, flying animals should maximize flight speed while minimizing energetic expenditure. Soaring speeds of large-bodied birds are determined by flight routes and tradeoffs between minimizing time and energetic costs. Large raptors migrating in eastern North America predominantly glide between thermals that provide lift or soar along slopes or ridgelines using orographic lift (slope soaring). It is usually assumed that slope soaring is faster than thermal gliding because forward progress is constant compared to interrupted progress when birds pause to regain altitude in thermals. We tested this slope-soaring hypothesis using high-frequency GPS-GSM telemetry devices to track golden eagles during northbound migration. In contrast to expectations, flight speed was slower when slope soaring and eagles also were diverted from their migratory path, incurring possible energetic costs and reducing speed of progress towards a migratory endpoint. When gliding between thermals, eagles stayed on track and fast gliding speeds compensated for lack of progress during thermal soaring. When thermals were not available, eagles minimized migration time, not energy, by choosing energetically expensive slope soaring instead of waitin...Continue Reading

References

Sep 4, 2003·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Kasper ThorupNils Kjellén
Dec 9, 2008·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Ran Nathan

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Citations

Aug 13, 2013·The American Naturalist·Emily L C ShepardSimon B Vosper
Mar 20, 2014·Ecology Letters·Nir HorvitzRan Nathan
Jan 11, 2014·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Tricia A MillerTodd Katzner
Aug 17, 2016·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Judy Shamoun-BaranesC J Camphuysen
Aug 17, 2016·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Patrick J Butler
Jun 14, 2016·Scientific Reports·Roi HarelRan Nathan
Oct 26, 2018·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Hangjian LingNicholas T Ouellette
Nov 6, 2015·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Todd E KatznerJérôme Lemaître
Dec 23, 2015·PloS One·Jesús Hernández-PliegoJavier Bustamante
May 17, 2017·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·Judy Shamoun-BaranesWouter M G Vansteelant
Jul 27, 2017·Scientific Reports·Carlos D SantosJoão P Silva
Nov 9, 2018·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Joseph M EisaguirreGreg A Breed
Sep 15, 2020·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Joseph M EisaguirreGreg A Breed

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