Shifting of the migration route of white-naped crane (Antigone vipio) due to wetland loss in China

Yifei Jia, Yunzhu Liu, Shengwu Jiao, Jia Guo, Cai Lu, Yan Zhou, Yuyu Wang, Guangchun Lei*, Li Wen, Xunqiang Mo

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    7 Citations (Scopus)
    53 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    In the last 15 years, the west population of white-naped crane (Antigone vipio) decreased dramatically despite the enhanced conservation actions in both breeding and wintering areas. Recent studies highlighted the importance of protecting the integrity of movement connectivity for migratory birds. Widespread and rapid landcover changes may exceed the adaptive capacity of migrants, leading to the collapse of migratory networks. In this study, using satellite tracking data, we modeled and characterized the migration routes of the white-naped crane at three spatial levels (core area, migratory corridor, and migratory path) based on the utilization distribution for two eras (1990s and 2010s) spanning 20 years. Our analysis demonstrated that the white-naped crane shifted its migratory route, which is supported by other lines of evidences. The widespread loss of wetlands, especially within the stopover sites, might have caused this behavioral adaptation. Moreover, our analysis indicated that the long-term sustainability of the new route is untested and likely to be questionable. Therefore, directing conservation effects to the new route might be insufficient for the long-term wellbeing of this threatened crane and large-scale wetland restorations in Bohai Bay, a critical stopover site in the East Asian-Australasian flyway, are of the utmost importance to the conservation of this species.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number2984
    Pages (from-to)1-15
    Number of pages15
    JournalRemote Sensing
    Volume13
    Issue number15
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2021

    Bibliographical note

    Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

    Keywords

    • landcover change
    • migratory behavior flexibility
    • satellite tracking
    • stopover site
    • utilization distribution
    • white-naped crane

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