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A team of researchers from the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, China and Russia, including scientists from the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, studied the populations of peregrine falcons in Northern Eurasia using satellite transmitters, genetic analysis and serious mathematical calculations. The work was carried out on the initiative and financial support of the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency, the genetic part of the work was carried out on the basis of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

How does climate change affect the migration routes and nesting sites of peregrine falcons

The northern subspecies of peregrine falcons living in 6 points of the Russian Arctic (Kola Peninsula, Kolguev Island, Yamal Peninsula, Taimyr Peninsula, Lena River Delta and the mouth of the Kolyma River) was studied. These birds nest in the tundra, and fly to winter in warmer climes from Europe to Southeast Asia.

The study was conducted since 2008, the first 10 peregrine falcons were equipped with satellite tags at the Institute's field hospital on the Yamal Peninsula in 2009.

A total of 56 Peregrine falcons were caught and equipped with transmitters. These devices made it possible to trace the migration paths of birds to wintering sites for several years. It turned out that Arctic peregrine falcons fly to wintering grounds at a distance of 2 to 11 thousand kilometers, covering up to 1200 km per day. At the same time, peregrine falcons fly the same routes from year to year and remain faithful to the nesting and wintering places. The researchers found that the neighbors in the breeding territory behave quite differently: for example, some birds perfectly winter in the Krasnodar Territory, while others fly to equatorial Africa. In addition, in the summer, marked peregrine falcons inhabit seemingly similar tundra breeding sites, and spend the winter in very different landscapes: from coastal swamps to deserts and steppes, and also develop agricultural land and urban areas in Baghdad, Delhi, Surbay.

The difference in the range of flights arose as a result of evolution and was fixed in the genes of peregrine falcons. The birds that fly the farthest are those with a tiny bit of DNA, the ADCY8 and CREB genes, which are responsible for long-term memory. Individuals who have these genes are able to remember a longer path and can fly further than their relatives for the winter. The falcons ' genetic changes were influenced by natural selection, which has operated in a changing climate for many thousands of years. Climate changes have shifted both the breeding grounds and the migration routes of peregrine falcons.

In the era of global climate change, which is happening most rapidly in the Arctic, the habitat of birds, their numbers and the range of migration are seriously changing. And today, as a result of such changes, Arctic peregrine falcons have to nest further north. In the next 50 years, the population of Arctic peregrine falcons may significantly decrease, and in the European part it may disappear altogether on nesting grounds – this is the forecast of scientists compiled on the basis of models.

The peregrine falcon migration tracking data obtained from this study is included in the AAMA Arctic Animal Movement Archive – an international system that allows scientists around the world to use information about the movements of northern animals for research. Today, the Archive already contains data from more than 100 universities, government agencies and environmental organizations in 17 countries.

The research team's experience opens up the possibility of developing accurate forecasts for populations of other vulnerable species, such as the gyrfalcon.

The article is published in the journal Nature
Source: ipae.uran.ru, sci-dig.ru