Abstract
Many organisms adjust their reproductive phenology in response to climate change, but phenological sensitivity to temperature may vary between species. For example, resident and migratory birds have vastly different annual cycles, which can cause differential temperature sensitivity at the breeding grounds, and may affect competitive dynamics. Currently, however, adjustment to climate change in resident and migratory birds have been studied separately or at relatively small geographical scales with varying time series durations and methodologies. Here, we studied differential effects of temperature on resident and migratory birds using the mean egg laying initiation dates from 10 European nest box schemes between 1991 and 2015 that had data on at least one resident tit species and at least one migratory flycatcher species. We found that both tits and flycatchers advanced laying in response to spring warming, but resident tit populations advanced more strongly in relation to temperature increases than migratory flycatchers. These different temperature responses have already led to a divergence in laying dates between tits and flycatchers of on average 0.94days per decade over the current study period. Interestingly, this divergence was stronger at lower latitudes where the interval between tit and flycatcher phenology is smaller and winter conditions can be considered more favorable for resident birds. This could indicate that phenological adjustment to climate change by flycatchers is increasingly hampered by competition with resident species. Indeed, we found that tit laying date had an additional effect on flycatcher laying date after controlling for temperature, and this effect was strongest in areas with the shortest interval between both species groups. Combined, our results suggest that the differential effect of climate change on species groups with overlapping breeding ecology affects the phenological interval between them, potentially affecting interspecific interactions.
Highlights
Climate warming causes the advancement of organismal phenology, but phenological sensitivity to climate warming often differs among trophic levels (Thackeray et al, 2010, 2016), which can cause mismatched reproductive timing between predator and prey (Parmesan & Yohe, 2003; Stenseth & Mysterud, 2002; Visser & Both, 2005)
The basic rationale underlying inflexible adjustment of migratory birds is that a flexible response of laying date to directional temperature changes is constrained by arrival date at the breeding grounds (Both & Visser, 2001), whereas resident species can more adjust the onset of breeding to local temperature changes
Aside from being competitors, flycatchers may benefit from social information gained from tits (Kivel€a et al, 2014; Samplonius, Kromhout Van Der Meer, & Both, 2017; Sepp€anen & Forsman, 2007; Sepp€anen, Forsman, Mo€nkko€nen, Krams, & Salmi, 2011; Slagsvold & Wiebe, 2017). Both information use and competition have phenological components: flycatcher mortality in tit nest boxes increased with more phenological overlap between tits and flycatchers (Ahola et al, 2007; Meril€a & Wiggins, 1995), and an experimental study showed that flycatchers preferentially settled in forest patches with early breeding tits (Samplonius & Both, 2017)
Summary
Climate warming causes the advancement of organismal phenology, but phenological sensitivity to climate warming often differs among trophic levels (Thackeray et al, 2010, 2016), which can cause mismatched reproductive timing between predator and prey (Parmesan & Yohe, 2003; Stenseth & Mysterud, 2002; Visser & Both, 2005). Two recent long-term studies gave contrasting evidence to the hypothesis that migrants adjust their laying dates to a lesser extent to temperature than sympatric residents: in the UK, the migratory pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca, was less sensitive in its laying date response to spring temperature (À2.3 days/°C) than resident tits (À4.8 days/°C) (Phillimore, Leech, Pearce-Higgins, & Hadfield, 2016). Aside from being competitors, flycatchers may benefit from social information gained from tits (Kivel€a et al, 2014; Samplonius, Kromhout Van Der Meer, & Both, 2017; Sepp€anen & Forsman, 2007; Sepp€anen, Forsman, Mo€nkko€nen, Krams, & Salmi, 2011; Slagsvold & Wiebe, 2017) Both information use and competition have phenological components: flycatcher mortality in tit nest boxes increased with more phenological overlap between tits and flycatchers (Ahola et al, 2007; Meril€a & Wiggins, 1995), and an experimental study showed that flycatchers preferentially settled in forest patches with early breeding tits (Samplonius & Both, 2017). This effect is expected to be stronger in populations where the phenological interval between tits and flycatchers is smaller
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
