Publications by authors named "Ute Eggers"
Article Synopsis
- Early-life conditions significantly impact the survival of animals in the wild, and this study focuses on juvenile white storks to explore this link.
- By analyzing GPS and body-acceleration data, researchers found that both pre-fledging and post-fledging activity levels are positively associated with higher first-year survival rates.
- The study suggests that increased daily activity, particularly during the post-fledging period, indicates better pre-migratory experience and individual quality, leading to improved survival outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Early arrival at breeding grounds is crucial for migrating birds, as it boosts their breeding success, with males and higher-quality individuals typically arriving first; warmer spring temperatures have been linked to early arrivals over the years.
- A study of 35 adult white storks using GPS and body acceleration data revealed that early arrivals mainly resulted from departing earlier and from more northern wintering sites, rather than migrating at a faster speed, which resulted in increased energy expenditure during flight.
- Between years, later arrivals correlated with colder conditions, affecting migration speed and causing longer stopovers, indicating that varying migratory behaviors significantly influence arrival times in birds.
Although many birds are socially monogamous, most (>75%) studied species are not strictly genetically monogamous, especially under high breeding density. We used molecular tools to reevaluate the reproductive strategy of the socially monogamous white stork (Ciconia ciconia) and examined local density effects. DNA samples of nestlings (Germany, Spain) were genotyped and assigned relationships using a two-program maximum likelihood classification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMigration conveys an immense challenge, especially for juvenile birds coping with enduring and risky journeys shortly after fledging. Accordingly, juveniles exhibit considerably lower survival rates compared to adults, particularly during migration. Juvenile white storks (Ciconia ciconia), which are known to rely on adults during their first fall migration presumably for navigational purposes, also display much lower annual survival than adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMovement of organisms is one of the key mechanisms shaping biodiversity, e.g. the distribution of genes, individuals and species in space and time.
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