Perceived wintering latitude determines timing of song output in a migratory bird.

ABSTRACT: Migratory bird populations frequently consist of individuals that overwinter variable distances from the breeding site. Seasonal changes in photoperiod, which varies with latitude, underlie seasonal changes in singing frequency in birds. Therefore, migratory populations that consist of individuals that overwinter at different latitudes with large overwintering ranges could experience within-population variation in seasonal production of song. To test the influence of overwintering latitude on intrapopulation variance in song production in the spring, we subjected two groups of Eastern Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia melodia) from the same partially migratory breeding population to different photoperiodic schedules associated with a 1,300-km difference in overwintering location. One

SUBMITTER: Brewer DE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6988553 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature