Date of Award
2008
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program
Biology
Supervisor
Dr. Christopher Guglielmo
Abstract
I investigated how inter-individual variation in total migration distance within a species affects stopover behavior and refueling rate. Wilson’s Warbler is a leapfrog migrant passerine that winters in Central America and breeds throughout North America. Birds were captured in the spring and fall of 2006 during passage through a desert stopover site in southern Arizona. Total migration distance of individuals was assessed using deuterium ratios of tail feathers, stopover duration was estimated using mark-recapture analysis of color-banded birds, and relative refueling rate was measured using plasma metabolite analysis. Compared to short-distance migrant individuals, longer-distance migrants passed through later during spring migration, had shorter minimum lengths of stay, larger fuel stores and a higher rate of refueling. During autumn, longer-distance migrants passed through later, but there was little variation in minimum length of stay. Total migration distance in autumn did not affect fuel stores, however, longer-distance migrants refueled more quickly.
Recommended Citation
Hays, Quentin Rousseau, "Stopover behavior and refueling physiology in relation to migration distance in Wilson's Warblers (Wilsonia Pusilla)" (2008). Digitized Theses. 3616.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/3616