Response to high ambient temperatures in short-distance and trans-Saharan migratory species

Abstract

In consideration of current global climate change, ecophysiological research on wild birds has increased its emphasis on approaches related to thermal tolerance. Many studies have investigated how desert specialists are adapted physiologically to the hot and xeric conditions they live in. Our aim was to test whether migratory passerines from temperate areas also have physiological adaptations to cope with heat stress and whether such adaptations may be related to habitat or migration distance. Using video recording and flow-through respirometry, we measured temperatures of panting onset (T_PANT) of 113 individuals of 14 different species, exposed to increasing ambient temperature. Our study species differed in size, migration type (short-distance migrants vs. trans-Saharan migrants) and habitat preferences (woodland, farmland, reeds). We found that trans-Saharan migrants started panting at higher ambient temperatures (T_A) than short-distance migrants of similar size, but no difference between species from different habitats. This finding suggests that migrants facing a desert crossing may have adaptations to decrease the risk of dehydration while maintaining body temperature below the critical range. According to this, we suggest that there may be selection on traits related to the modulation of respiratory water loss in birds that cross the Sahara Desert during migration. Flexibility in these traits will be of crucial importance in a warmer future.