The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, is the first to track the migration routes and timing of individual songbirds over multiple years. Researchers outfitted wood thrushes with tiny geolocator “backpacks”, recording data on their movements.

One of the songbirds studied is the wood thrush. Photograph by Kevin Fraser

Spring departure dates of birds heading from the tropics to North American breeding grounds were surprisingly consistent, with a mean difference of only three days from year to year, the study reports. Fall migration, however, was far less predictable. Males on average flew faster than females, and first-timers lagged behind those with more than one journey under their wings.

The geolocators, which are smaller than a dime, are mounted on birds’ backs with thin straps looped around their legs. The devices measure light, allowing researchers to estimate latitude and longitude by recording sunrise and sunset times.

“It’s quite surprising that the schedules of these birds are so consistent across the entire route, with some of them departing the tropics and arriving at breeding sites in North America on the same day in different years,” says study author Kevin Fraser, a postdoctoral Fellow in 91��ɫ’s Department of Biology, . “Much like airplanes, there are many factors that can influence birds’ flight schedules, such as weather at departure and expected conditions at the other end of the journey. Amazingly, these small songbirds are highly consistent in their timing between years.”

Interestingly, while their departure times are precise, songbirds’ migratory routes can vary widely. “Migratory routes sometimes differed by several hundred kilometres between years, which may reflect a fine-tuning of migration in response to wind and weather conditions en route, such as during large open-water crossings like the Gulf of Mexico,” says Fraser.

Wood thrush with geolocator. Image taken in Belize. Photo by �������������ѳ������ԲԴDz�

As for arrival times, birds need to be early to lay their claim to prime breeding grounds – but not too early.

“There is intense pressure for birds to get back to breeding grounds early to secure good territories, nest sites and, of course, mating opportunities. The early birds tend to do better and raise more young. However, cool weather in early spring can reduce food availability and even survival of early birds,” Fraser says. He cautions that songbirds’ consistent timing may come at a cost.

“The concern is that birds may not be able to flexibly adjust their schedules to meet new conditions with climate change,” says Fraser. “This is a topic we’re pursuing in current research.”

The birds Fraser tracked were tagged in Pennsylvania and Costa Rica, at field research sites of his supervisor, 91��ɫ Professor Bridget Stutchbury, who has studied the behavioural ecology of birds for decades. Her 2007 book, Silence of the Songbirds, details the threat to the species posed by climate change and habitat destruction.

“Numbers [of wood thrush] have plummeted in Canada by over��50 percent since the 1960s. When we lose the wood thrush, and other songbirds, we lose an integral part of the forest itself,” Stutchbury says.

The research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), National Geographic Society, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Neotropical Migratory Bird Grant, Kenneth M. Molson Foundation, Schad Foundation and proceeds from Silence of the Songbirds.

The study, “Repeat tracking of individual songbirds reveals consistent migration timing but flexibility in route”, is co-authored by Stutchbury, along with Calandra Stanley, Maggie MacPherson and �������������ѳ������ԲԴDz�, graduate students in 91��ɫ’s Department of Biology, Faculty of Science & Engineering.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Graduate students Shannon Roberts, Nancy��Latoszewski Greyeyes and Ilse Gudiño, candidates in 91��ɫ’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in choreography and dance dramaturgy, premiere new choreographies for ensembles in Temenos. The show, performed by professional and pre-professional dancers, runs Feb.��15 to 17 in the Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan Theatre at��the Keele campus.

Shannon Roberts. Photo by��David Hou

The Greek word temenos refers to a piece of land cut off from common use, often dedicated as a place for worship. Historically, the proscenium stage has been regarded as a space reserved for particular users and dedicated to expressing the meanings that infuse our bodies and relationships.

As well as addressing the concept of the stage as a special site, the three emerging choreographers build on the idea of the dancing body itself as temenos – simultaneously separated from society’s imposed meanings, and infused with individual sources of meaning for each artist.

“Their dances focus on navigating the proscenium stage as a site for researching the body’s memories and cultural constructions,” said Professor Darcey Callison, the production’s artistic director. “From delving into the historical roots of flamenco, to exploring a family narrative of coal miners in Pennsylvania, to challenging the complexity of the male gaze, these choreographers investigate the proscenium theatre as temenos: a theatrical space that frames these works in order to make visible the body as a conduit for memories and social conditions that permeate their choreography.”��

Fusing modern dance with her athletic background, Shannon Roberts incorporates Bollywood, ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, figure skating and flying trapeze into her work. Her choreography is inspired by social issues and the people, artwork and cultures she has experienced in her travels around the world.��������������������������

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Roberts’ work, A Way of Seeing, is a discourse between Edvard Munch’s painting Woman in Three Stages and writer John Berger’s influential book Ways of Seeing. Investigating how a woman’s experience is informed through youth, sexuality and aging, this trio explores a sensual physical language that frames the private experience as public display.

��Ilse Gudiño Barthold. Photo by David Hou

In her piece, In the Marrow: A��Crucial Journey, Ilse Gudiño Barthold explores the history of flamenco as cultural memory and personal expression. Four dancers and four live musicians bring to the stage this complex journey, from a dance form infused with cultural significance to a movement vocabulary that is both personal and contemporary.

Trained in flamenco dance in Madrid and Seville, Gudiño Barthold has been a member of the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company since 1997 and has performed as a soloist and with other flamenco dancers across Canada and internationally.

In Valley of Coal, Nancy Latoszewski (Greyeyes) tells the story of her grandparents. Both her grandfathers were Pennsylvania coal miners, and her choreography charts memories of the challenges they faced and the personal sacrifices they made. This narrative choreography is Latoszewski’s way of exploring oral history through her work as a dance artist.

Nancy Latoszewski (Greyeyes). Photo by��David Hou

A former soloist with Feld Ballets NY, Latoszewski has also been a principal dancer with the Cleveland San Jose Ballet and Alberta Ballet. Her work has been performed at Nuit Blanche and by Ballet Jörgen, and she has also choreographed for film.

The Temenos program concludes with a structured improvisation created by the 91��ɫ Dance Ensemble’s (YDE) artistic director Holly Small in collaboration with the ensemble, and��performed by the 16 dancers and five musicians of the YDE.

For tickets, contact the Box Office at 416-736-5888.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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