TY - JOUR
T1 - Stable isotopes reveal the common winter moult of central rectrices in a long-distance migrant songbird
AU - Jiguet, Frédéric
AU - Kardynal, Kevin J.
AU - Piha, Markus
AU - Seimola, Tuomas
AU - Copete, José Luis
AU - Czajkowski, Michel Alexandre
AU - Dombrovski, Valery
AU - Efrat, Ron
AU - Minkevicius, Simonas
AU - Raković, Marko
AU - Skierczyǹski, Michał
AU - Hobson, Keith A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V.
PY - 2019/10/1
Y1 - 2019/10/1
N2 - By analysing the deuterium concentration in the scapulars and rectrices (δ2Hf) of breeding and spring migrating Ortolan Buntings (Emberiza hortulana), we found a high correlation attesting that spring body and central rectrices have grown in similar isotopic environments. Furthermore, we failed to find a correlation between δ2Hf of the rectrices and the amount-weighted growing season precipitation δ2Hp of sites where we captured the birds. Winter-grown body coverts and rectrices displayed similar probabilistic assignments to origin. Further examination of 76 tails of breeding birds captured in Finland in May–June confirmed that breeding birds wear recently moulted central rectrices. The body coverts are known to moult during the winter partial moult in that species, but the rectrices have been reported to moult only once a year, during the complete post-breeding moult occurring on the breeding grounds in summer. Here, we reveal the common replacement of the central pair in winter, as well. The winter tail moult could occur beyond the central pair in some individuals, but this has still to be confirmed or refuted, by, e.g., further isotopic investigations.
AB - By analysing the deuterium concentration in the scapulars and rectrices (δ2Hf) of breeding and spring migrating Ortolan Buntings (Emberiza hortulana), we found a high correlation attesting that spring body and central rectrices have grown in similar isotopic environments. Furthermore, we failed to find a correlation between δ2Hf of the rectrices and the amount-weighted growing season precipitation δ2Hp of sites where we captured the birds. Winter-grown body coverts and rectrices displayed similar probabilistic assignments to origin. Further examination of 76 tails of breeding birds captured in Finland in May–June confirmed that breeding birds wear recently moulted central rectrices. The body coverts are known to moult during the winter partial moult in that species, but the rectrices have been reported to moult only once a year, during the complete post-breeding moult occurring on the breeding grounds in summer. Here, we reveal the common replacement of the central pair in winter, as well. The winter tail moult could occur beyond the central pair in some individuals, but this has still to be confirmed or refuted, by, e.g., further isotopic investigations.
KW - Deuterium
KW - Emberiza hortulana
KW - Moulting strategy
KW - Ortolan Bunting
KW - Tail feather
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066238913&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10336-019-01671-w
DO - 10.1007/s10336-019-01671-w
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85066238913
SN - 2193-7192
VL - 160
SP - 1077
EP - 1085
JO - Journal fur Ornithologie
JF - Journal fur Ornithologie
IS - 4
ER -