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Ecological drivers of global gradients in avian dispersal inferred from wing morphology

Author

Listed:
  • Catherine Sheard

    (University of Bristol
    University of Oxford)

  • Montague H. C. Neate-Clegg

    (University of Oxford
    University of Utah)

  • Nico Alioravainen

    (University of Oxford
    University of Eastern Finland)

  • Samuel E. I. Jones

    (University of Oxford
    Royal Holloway, University of London)

  • Claire Vincent

    (University of Oxford
    Conservation Society of Sierra Leone)

  • Hannah E. A. MacGregor

    (University of Oxford
    University of Bristol)

  • Tom P. Bregman

    (University of Oxford
    Future-Fit Foundation)

  • Santiago Claramunt

    (Royal Ontario Museum
    University of Toronto)

  • Joseph A. Tobias

    (University of Oxford
    Imperial College London)

Abstract

An organism’s ability to disperse influences many fundamental processes, from speciation and geographical range expansion to community assembly. However, the patterns and underlying drivers of variation in dispersal across species remain unclear, partly because standardised estimates of dispersal ability are rarely available. Here we present a global dataset of avian hand-wing index (HWI), an estimate of wing shape widely adopted as a proxy for dispersal ability in birds. We show that HWI is correlated with geography and ecology across 10,338 (>99%) species, increasing at higher latitudes and with migration, and decreasing with territoriality. After controlling for these effects, the strongest predictor of HWI is temperature variability (seasonality), with secondary effects of diet and habitat type. Finally, we also show that HWI is a strong predictor of geographical range size. Our analyses reveal a prominent latitudinal gradient in HWI shaped by a combination of environmental and behavioural factors, and also provide a global index of avian dispersal ability for use in community ecology, macroecology, and macroevolution.

Suggested Citation

  • Catherine Sheard & Montague H. C. Neate-Clegg & Nico Alioravainen & Samuel E. I. Jones & Claire Vincent & Hannah E. A. MacGregor & Tom P. Bregman & Santiago Claramunt & Joseph A. Tobias, 2020. "Ecological drivers of global gradients in avian dispersal inferred from wing morphology," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-16313-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16313-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Yichen He & Zoë K. Varley & Lara O. Nouri & Christopher J. A. Moody & Michael D. Jardine & Steve Maddock & Gavin H. Thomas & Christopher R. Cooney, 2022. "Deep learning image segmentation reveals patterns of UV reflectance evolution in passerine birds," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Jonathan A. Rader & Tyson L. Hedrick, 2023. "Morphological evolution of bird wings follows a mechanical sensitivity gradient determined by the aerodynamics of flapping flight," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Montague H C Neate-Clegg & Simon N Stuart & Devolent Mtui & Çağan H Şekercioğlu & William D Newmark, 2021. "Afrotropical montane birds experience upslope shifts and range contractions along a fragmented elevational gradient in response to global warming," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(3), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Peter Mikula & Oldřich Tomášek & Dušan Romportl & Timothy K. Aikins & Jorge E. Avendaño & Bukola D. A. Braimoh-Azaki & Adams Chaskda & Will Cresswell & Susan J. Cunningham & Svein Dale & Gabriela R. F, 2023. "Bird tolerance to humans in open tropical ecosystems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Joan Garcia-Porta & Daniel Sol & Matt Pennell & Ferran Sayol & Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou & Carlos A. Botero, 2022. "Niche expansion and adaptive divergence in the global radiation of crows and ravens," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.

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