Citation
Source:inst/CITATION
Hufkens et al. (2023). Size dependent prey preferences drive moonlight synchrony across three western palearctic swift species https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7814213
@Misc{,
title = {Size dependent prey preferences drive moonlight synchrony across three western palearctic swift species},
author = {Koen Hufkens},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.7814213},
url = {https://bluegreen-labs.github.io/swift_lunar_synchrony/},
}
Hufkens et al. Moonlight synchronous flights across three western palearctic swifts mirror size dependent prey preferences. bioRxiv 2023.04.25.538243; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.04.25.538243.
@Article{,
author = {Koen Hufkens and Christoph M. Meier and Ruben Evens and Josefa Aran Paredes and Hakan Karaardic and Stef Vercauteren and Ann {Van Gysel} and James W. Fox and Carlos Miguel Pacheco and Luis P. da Silva and Sandra Fernandes and Pedro Henriques and Concalo Elias and Luis T. Costa and Martin Poot and Lyndon Kearsley},
title = {Moonlight synchronous flights across three western palearctic swifts mirror size dependent prey preferences},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1101/2023.04.25.538243},
publisher = {Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory},
abstract = {Recent studies have suggested the presence of moonlight mediated behaviour in avian aerial insectivores, such as swifts. At the same time swift species also show differences in prey (size) preferences. Here, we use the combined analysis of state-of-the-art activity logger data across three swift species, the Common, Pallid and Alpine swifts, to quantify flight height and activity responses to crepuscular and nocturnal light conditions. Our results show a significant response in flight heights to moonlight illuminance for Common and Pallid swifts, while a moonlight driven response is absent in Alpine swifts. Swift flight responses followed the size dependent altitude gradient of their insect prey. We show a weak relationship between night-time illuminance driven responses and twilight ascending behaviour, suggesting a decoupling of both crepuscular and night-time behaviour. We suggest that swifts optimise their flight behaviour to adapt to favourable night-time light conditions, driven by light responsive and size-dependent vertical insect stratification and weather conditions.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2023/04/27/2023.04.25.538243},
eprint = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2023/04/27/2023.04.25.538243.full.pdf},
journal = {bioRxiv},
}