Wind conditions shape co-migration fidelity in trans-Saharan birds at a Mediterranean stopover site
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, KLIVV, University of Veterinary Medicine 1 , Vienna, Austria
- 2Konrad-Lorenz-Institut fur Evolutions und Kognitionsforschung 2 , Klosterneuburg, Austria
- 3Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia 3 , Viterbo, Italy
- 4Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 4 , Lysekil, Sweden
- 5Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute 5 , Sempach, Switzerland
- 6Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna 6 , Vienna, Austria
Abstract
Weather is a key driver of bird migration, particularly near ecological barriers, where migratory species often converge before crossing. While its effects on individual timing are well documented, how weather reshapes the temporal assemblage of migratory bird communities remains unexplored. Using 18 years of standardised ringing data from 24 trans-Saharan species during pre-breeding migration, this study investigated whether weather conditions along the Mediterranean Sea influence annual network modularity, that is, the yearly interspecific clusters of co-occurrence at a stopover site, and measured the ‘co-migration fidelity’, defined as the tendency of species to co-occur in the same cluster over the years. Specifically, we examined the ‘modularity’ associations with tailwinds, temperature, and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Modularity increased significantly over time, revealing non-random species clusters whose arrival timing aligns under unfavourable winds. This suggests that less supportive winds may lead distinct species to migrate within the same narrow temporal window of favourable conditions, heightening co-migration fidelity. Conversely, modularity decreased sharply in years with stronger tailwinds, while temperature and NAO showed negligible effects. These findings provide novel evidence that shared environmental constraints during the sea crossing can shape the formation of migratory communities by prompting species' temporal convergence at a stopover.
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BibTeX
@article{calabretta2026wind,
title = {{Wind conditions shape co-migration fidelity in trans-Saharan birds at a Mediterranean stopover site}},
author = {Erica Calabretta and Bruno Bellisario and Claudio Carere and Ivan Maggini and Massimiliano Cardinale and Elizabeth Yohannes and Leonida Fusani},
journal = {Royal Society Open Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1098/rsos.260539},
url = {https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/13/10/260539/483515/Wind-conditions-shape-co-migration-fidelity-in},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Wind conditions shape co-migration fidelity in trans-Saharan birds at a Mediterranean stopover site
AU - Erica Calabretta
AU - Bruno Bellisario
AU - Claudio Carere
AU - Ivan Maggini
AU - Massimiliano Cardinale
AU - Elizabeth Yohannes
AU - Leonida Fusani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Royal Society Open Science
DO - 10.1098/rsos.260539
UR - https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/13/10/260539/483515/Wind-conditions-shape-co-migration-fidelity-in
AB - Weather is a key driver of bird migration, particularly near ecological barriers, where migratory species often converge before crossing. While its effects on individual timing are well documented, how weather reshapes the temporal assemblage of migratory bird communities remains unexplored. Using 18 years of standardised ringing data from 24 trans-Saharan species during pre-breeding migration, this study investigated whether weather conditions along the Mediterranean Sea influence annual network modularity, that is, the yearly interspecific clusters of co-occurrence at a stopover site, and measured the ‘co-migration fidelity’, defined as the tendency of species to co-occur in the same cluster over the years. Specifically, we examined the ‘modularity’ associations with tailwinds, temperature, and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Modularity increased significantly over time, revealing non-random species clusters whose arrival timing aligns under unfavourable winds. This suggests that less supportive winds may lead distinct species to migrate within the same narrow temporal window of favourable conditions, heightening co-migration fidelity. Conversely, modularity decreased sharply in years with stronger tailwinds, while temperature and NAO showed negligible effects. These findings provide novel evidence that shared environmental constraints during the sea crossing can shape the formation of migratory communities by prompting species' temporal convergence at a stopover.
SN - 2054-5703
ER -