Quantifying the robustness of first arrival dates as a measure of avian migratory phenology

Goodenough, Anne E ORCID: 0000-0002-7662-6670, Fairhurst, Stacey M, Morrison, Julia B, Cade, Martin, Morgan, Peter J and Wood, Matthew J ORCID: 0000-0003-0920-8396 (2015) Quantifying the robustness of first arrival dates as a measure of avian migratory phenology. Ibis: International Journal of Avian Science, 157 (2). pp. 384-390. doi:10.1111/ibi.12227

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Abstract

As the climate changes, many long-term studies have shown that the timing of bird migration is shifting, increasing the need for reliable measures of migratory phenology. Ideally, daily counts of birds at a site are used to calculate the mean arrival date (MAD) but, as this approach is not always possible and is very labour-intensive, simpler metrics such as first arrival date (FAD) have commonly been used. Here, we examine the relationship between FAD and MAD in 28 summer migrant bird species over a 42-year period (1970–2011) at Portland Bird Observatory, UK. Although significant correlations between FAD and MAD were detected, relationships were weak, particularly in long-distance migrants. We suggest that FAD, although a simple and straightforward measure, is not particularly robust as a proxy for overall migratory phenology at a population level.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Goodenough, Anne E and Fairhurst, Stacey M and Morrison, Julia B and Cade, Martin and Morgan, Peter J and Wood, Matthew J (2015) Quantifying the robustness of first arrival dates as a measure of avian migratory phenology. Ibis: International Journal of Avian Science, 157 (2). pp. 384-390, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12227. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	climate change; mean arrival dates; migration; timing
Subjects:	Q Science > QL Zoology > QL605 Chordates. Vertebrates > QL671-699 Birds
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Research Priority Areas:	Place, Environment and Community
Depositing User:	Anne Goodenough
Date Deposited:	16 Jan 2015 16:43
Last Modified:	31 Aug 2023 08:58
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/1220

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