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- Title
Flexible navigation response in common cuckoos Cuculus canorus displaced experimentally during migration.
- Authors
Willemoes, Mikkel; Blas, Julio; Wikelski, Martin; Thorup, Kasper
- Abstract
Migrating birds follow innate species-specific migration programs capable of guiding them along complex spatio-temporal routes, which may include several separate staging areas. Indeed, migration routes of common cuckoos Cuculus canorus show little variation between individuals; yet, satellite tracks of 11 experimentally displaced adults revealed an unexpected flexibility in individual navigation responses. The birds compensated for the translocation to unfamiliar areas by travelling toward population-specific staging areas, demonstrating true navigation capabilities. Individual responses varied from travelling toward the first stopover in northern Europe to flying toward the Central-African winter grounds, the latter including several stopovers in unfamiliar areas. Apparently, the cuckoos possess spatial knowledge far beyond their population-specific flyway scale, and make individual decisions likely based on an assessment of perceived gain and cost of alternative route options.
- Subjects
EUROPEAN cuckoo; BIRD migration; BIRD navigation; STAGING areas (Birds); ARTIFICIAL satellite tracking; ANIMAL behavior
- Publication
Scientific Reports, 2015, p16402
- ISSN
2045-2322
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/srep16402