Morphological Shifts of the External Flight Apparatus across the Range of a Passerine (Northern Wheatear) with Diverging Migratory Behaviour
Open Access
- 18 April 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLOS ONE
- Vol. 6 (4), e18732
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018732
Abstract
We studied morphological differentiation in the flight apparatus of the four currently recognised sub-species of Northern Wheatears, Oenanthe oenanthe. Considering all measured birds without assigning them a priori to any sub-species we found a clinal morphological shift. Relative wing length, wing pointedness, and the degree of tail forking were positively correlated with migratory distance, whereas tail length (relative to wing length) was negatively correlated. The large-sized, long-distance migrant “Greenland” Wheatear, O. o. leucorhoa, is characterized by relatively longer, broader and more pointed wings and more forked tails, similar to the smaller-sized nominate Northern Wheatear, O. o. oenanthe, from North Europe, Siberia and Russia. In contrast, the short distance migrant “Seebohm's” Wheatear, O. o. seebohmi, from northwest Africa, possesses much rounder wings, and the tail is relatively longer and less forked. Sub-species with intermediate migratory habits (different populations of nominate Northern Wheatear, O. o. oenanthe, and “Mediterranean” Northern Wheatear, O. o. libanotica) show, as expected, intermediate features according to their intermediate migratory behaviour. Our results are congruent with other inter- and intraspecific studies finding similar adaptations for energy-effective flight in relation to migration distance (morphological migratory syndrome).Keywords
This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Morphometrics and stable isotopes differentiate populations of Northern Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe)Journal of Ornithology, 2010
- Pointed Wings, Low Wingloading and Calm Air Reduce Migratory Flight Costs in SongbirdsPLOS ONE, 2008
- Phylogeny of Palaearctic wheatears (genus Oenanthe)—Congruence between morphometric and molecular dataMolecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2007
- Animal migration: is there a common migratory syndrome?Journal of Ornithology, 2006
- WING SHAPE IN HOUSE FINCHES DIFFERS RELATIVE TO MIGRATORY HABIT IN EASTERN AND WESTERN NORTH AMERICAOrnithological Applications, 2003
- Differences in wing shape between sedentary and migratory Reed BuntingsEmberiza schoeniclusBird Study, 1999
- Avian Wingtip Shape Reconsidered: Wingtip Shape Indices and Morphological Adaptations to MigrationJournal of Avian Biology, 1998
- Intraspecific Variation in Wing Length and Male Plumage Coloration with Migratory Behaviour in Continental and Island PopulationsJournal of Avian Biology, 1998
- The Flight of Birds that have Wings and a Tail: Variable Geometry Expands the Envelope of Flight PerformanceJournal of Theoretical Biology, 1996
- Do migrant birds have more pointed wings?: A comparative studyEvolutionary Ecology, 1995