Variation of migration routes in the Central Asian-breeding Cuculus canorus population influenced by the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Abstract

Abstract Seasonal climate changes and fluctuations in food resources drive the migratory behavior of birds between their breeding and wintering sites. Migratory birds change their migration routes in response to climate and environmental stresses. Existing studies have indicated that the widely distributed Eurasian Common cuckoo migrates individually during the night, necessitating further research to elucidate its global migration routes. From 2018 to 2021, the migration routes of 13 adult Common cuckoos breeding in the north of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were tracked using satellite trackers. We found that (1) the migration routes of this Common cuckoo population mainly separate into three directions: 8 individuals followed the western routes along the western edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the south, 3 individuals traversed the eastern routes along the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the rest 2 opted for the middle routes across most of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the south. (2) Individual marked with the identifier 201907 exhibited a consistent stopover site selection during autumn migration. However, it changed the breeding area after spring migration. (3) In the context of autumn migration, 4 tracked Common cuckoos (50%) along the western migratory routes exhibited a consistent preference for the Hotan area in Xinjiang as their stopover site. Concurrently, 3 individuals (100%) traversing the eastern migratory route consistently selected stopover locations in the vicinity of Baoshan city, Yunnan. (4) The migration speed of Common cuckoos is significantly higher in spring than in autumn, and the stopover duration of spring migration is significantly lower than that of autumn migration. The daily flight time of spring migration is concentrated between 0–12 clock, while that of autumn migration is between 0–6 clock. (5) Migration routes of the Central Asian Common cuckoo population were limited by the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The population exhibited high levels of plasticity, with individuals with longer wings tending to select the east and middle routes, while shorter wings were observed more frequently in the west route. Our findings reveal that central Asian common cuckoo populations exhibit a preference for a minimum-time strategy during spring migration, with migration routes selected based on wing length.