Spatiotemporal variation in avian migration phenology: citizen science reveals effects of climate change.

ABSTRACT: A growing number of studies have documented shifts in avian migratory phenology in response to climate change, and yet there is a large amount of unexplained variation in the magnitude of those responses across species and geographic regions. We use a database of citizen science bird observations to explore spatiotemporal variation in mean arrival dates across an unprecedented geographic extent for 18 common species in North America over the past decade, relating arrival dates to mean minimum spring temperature. Across all species and geographic locations, species shifted arrival dates 0.8 days earlier for every °C of warming of spring temperature, but it was common for some species in some locations to shift as much as 3-6 days earlier per °C. Species that advanced arrival dates the earli

SUBMITTER: Hurlbert AH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3285173 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature