Section 4 - Migratory Behavior

What is migration?

Act of animals moving from one region to another and eventually returning back

What is dispersal?

Animals leaving where they were born to a new habitat

Why do animals disperse?

Avoid in-breeding and competition for food and mates

Why is dispersal not considered Migratory behavior?

Migrating animals move predictably and always return

How many years ago has migration been observed in bird species?

250,000

What are obligate migrators?

Migrators that must migrate/always will

What are facultative migrators?

Migrators that choose to migrate or not depending on conditions

How did Aristotle believe barnacle geese spawned?

Came from gooseneck barnacles

When did the myth of barnacle geese spawning become busted?

19th century

What is partial migration?

Individuals only traveling partially or avoid migrating entirely

What are residents?

Animals that chose not to migrate even though others did

What are the factors that can dictate whether an animal migrates or not?

Age, health, current resources, weather

Where does the Arctic tern migrate between?

North Pole and South Pole

What are the benefits of migration for animals?

Safer area to mate/raise young, resources that are necessary for gestation, and resources replenish in original area

Are migrations considered a form of social behavior?

YEs

Where do northern elephant seals migrate to?

West Coast of U.S.

How do migrations benefit northern elephant seals?

Many mating opportunities, and the young that spawn have no predators

What are the disadvantages of migration?

Most animals do not have flexibility to change according to environmental conditions, requires immense amounts of energy, relies on habitats being predictable

How can Migratory animals save energy for their migrations?

Stop their reproductive systems and shrink organs

By what percentage do Male Garden Warblers increase their testes by to prepare for breeding?

300%

Where do White Crowned Sparrwos breed?

Sierra Nevada Mountains and Alaska at high elevations

What is the most stable navigational cue for Migratory animals?

Earth’s magnetic field

What is magnetoreception?

Sense that can detect Earth’s magnetic field

What is the quorum response?

Probability that an animal behaves in a specific way once others do it

What are some types of cues that can cause an animal to migrate?

Hormones, Weather, Resources, Temperature, Daylength

How do quorum responses benefit animals?

Animals can move together as a group and do not spend time on other environmental cues

What is an olfactory cue?

Odor molecule that has specific importance to an animal

What is the largest over-land migration?

Great Nile migration with antelope

How many individuals migrate in the Great Nile migration?

6 million

How many miles long is the Great Nile migration?

1000

What country does the Great Nile migration happen in?

South Sudan

What animal has the shortest land migration?

Dusky Grouse

How far do dusky Grouse travel in their migration?

30 miles

How do antelopes alter vegetation due to their migration?

Breaks up soil and poop on it

Who discovered the location where adult eels reproduced?

Johannes Schmidt

What nationality is Johannes Schmidt?

Danish

Where is the location that adult eels reproduced?

Sargasso Sea

When did Johannes Schmidt make his discovery?

1921

What is Diel Vertical Migration?

Nightly migration of animals to the ocean surface

Why do some animals have Diel Vertical Migration?

Darker light allows animals to feed easier away from predators

What is the biological carbon pump?

Process where excess carbon from the air gets trapped underwater

What season do Humpback whales breed in?

Winter

What season do Humpback whales feed in?

Summer

What cues do humpback whales rely on for their migration timing?

Food becomes more scarce, daylength shorten, temperature drop

What sea contains a population of humpback whales that do not migrate?

Arabian Sea

How long does the Ruby-Throated hummingbird take to migrate?

20 hours

How far does the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird migrate?

500 miles

Where does the Ruby-Throated hummingbird migrate?

Across Gulf of Mexico

What is an example of a long-distance insect Migratory?

Desert Locust

What creates the trigger for desert locusts to start to change shape and color?

As resources become more scarce, the locusts bump up against each other

What animal do researchers study to identify the effect of genetics on Migratory behaviors?

Eurasian Blackcap

What continents can the Eurasian Blackcap be found in?

Europe, Asia, Africa

What differences did long-distance Eurasian blackcaps have compared to their counterparts?

Larger bodies and more sensitive to day length

How does age benefit Migratory animals?

They can gain more experience and refine their routes

What is the biggest threat to Migratory animals?

Climate Change

What does HIREC stand for?

Human-Induced rapid Enviornmental Change

What is an example of an animal affected by light pollution?

Green Sea turtles

How does light pollution affect green Sea turtles?

The hatchlings navigate via light, light inland can cause them to travel in that direction

What are the anthropogenic effects on migration?

Climate Change, Pollution, Urbanization/Habitat Destruction, Invasive Species

Where is the Burmese pythons native to?

Southeast Asia

How many humans deaths occur as a result of feral hog attacks each year?

8