Vagrancy and Colonization by Birds: Escape from Climate Extinction?

野生鸟类经常出现在意想不到的地方，远离它们繁殖或通常迁徙的地方。这些可能迷路的人被称为“流浪者”。 从历史上看，他们认为这是一个悲伤的事件--一个不幸的后果，出了问题。这个项目将探索另一种观点-流浪是一个正常的事件，由年轻的鸟类从快速增长的人口探索世界的新的，不那么拥挤的地方生活。这一想法将通过在纽约和马萨诸塞州捕获的50只小黑背鸥身上放置跟踪器进行测试，然后通过卫星记录它们的位置大约2年。该物种不知道在附近繁殖。最近的主要繁殖地在格陵兰岛，这些殖民地一直在迅速增长。 因此，研究人员预计跟踪的海鸥来自格陵兰岛，有些会回到那里。 除了跟踪数据，基因检测还将用于将在新英格兰捕获的个体与格陵兰岛或冰岛的种群联系起来。该项目的数据将有助于了解鸟类对气候变化的反应能力。特别是，这项工作将揭示一些海鸟积极探索和适应不断变化的世界的程度。该项目将使用ICARUS全球定位系统装置跟踪纽约火岛和马萨诸塞州南图克特岛被炮网困住的50只小黑背鸥的活动。 根据GPS装置的位置数据，将测试三个预测：（1）被困在北美的越冬鸟类将返回格陵兰岛。 这一预测是基于这样的观察，即在北美越冬鸟类最大增长时期（1990年至今），黑背鸥的最大种群增长是在格陵兰岛。(2)根据首次通过时间分析的测量，非成年鸟类（4岁，由羽毛决定）比成年鸟类会进行更多的探索行为。(3)被困在北美的鸟类将来自格陵兰种群。这将通过种群遗传学进行测试，基于对在新英格兰捕获的鸟类羽毛与格陵兰岛，冰岛和西欧鸟类羽毛的遗传分析。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Wild birds often turn up in unexpected places, far away from where they breed or usually migrate. These presumably lost individuals are called “vagrants”. Historically, they have viewed as sad events – an unfortunate consequence of something gone wrong. This project will explore an alternative perspective – that vagrancy is a normal event, caused by young birds from rapidly growing populations exploring the world for new, less-crowded places to live. This idea will be tested by placing trackers on 50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls captured in New York and Massachusetts, then recording their positions by satellite for roughly 2 years. The species is not known to breed nearby. The closest major breeding colonies are in Greenland and those colonies have been growing quickly. Therefore, researchers expect the tracked gulls to be from Greenland and for some to return there. In addition to tracking data, genetic testing will be used to link individuals captured in New England to populations in Greenland or perhaps Iceland. Data from this project will be useful in understanding birds’ abilities to respond to a changing climate. In particular, this work will reveal the extent to which some seabirds actively explore and adapt to a changing world.This project will use ICARUS GPS units to track movements of 50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls trapped by cannon net at Fire Island, New York and Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Based on position data from the GPS units, three predictions will be tested: (1) Wintering birds trapped in North America will return to Greenland. This prediction is based on the observation that the greatest population growth of Black-backed Gulls anywhere during the period of largest increase of wintering birds in North America (1990-present) was in Greenland. (2) Non-adult birds (4 years old, determined by plumage) will engage in more exploratory behavior, as measured by First Passage Time Analysis, than adult birds. (3) Birds trapped in North America will be derived from Greenland populations. This will be tested by population genetics, based on genetic analysis of feathers from birds captured in New England with those from birds in Greenland, Iceland and western Europe.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.