Routes to genes: unravelling the control of avian migration—an integrated approach using Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe as model organism

Franz Bairlein; Cas Eikenaar; Heiko Schmaljohann

doi:10.1007/s10336-015-1224-3

Routes to genes: unravelling the control of avian migration—an integrated approach using Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe as model organism

Journal of Ornithology ◽

10.1007/s10336-015-1224-3 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 156 (S1) ◽

pp. 3-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Franz Bairlein ◽

Cas Eikenaar ◽

Heiko Schmaljohann

Keyword(s):

Model Organism ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Northern Wheatear ◽

Avian Migration ◽

Oenanthe Oenanthe

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Revealing the control of migratory fueling: An integrated approach combining laboratory and field studies in northern wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe

Current Zoology ◽

10.1093/czoolo/59.3.381 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 59 (3) ◽

pp. 381-392 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Franz Bairlein ◽

Volker Dierschke ◽

Julia Delingat ◽

Cas Eikenaar ◽

Ivan Maggini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Availability ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Field Studies ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Control Mechanisms ◽

Northern Wheatear ◽

Eastern Canada ◽

Extrinsic Factors ◽

Oenanthe Oenanthe ◽

Migration Program

Abstract Migratory birds rely on fueling prior to migratory flights. Fueling in migrants is controlled by intrinsic as well as extrinsic factors. From captive studies we have started understanding the internal mechanisms controlling bird migration. Field studies have demonstrated the effects of external factors, such as food availability, weather, competitors, parasites or diseases, on the stopover behavior of migrants. However, an integrated approach is still missing to study coherently how the innate migration program interacts with the varying environmental cues and to estimate the contribution of the innate migration program and the environment to realized migration. The northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe offers a unique opportunity for integrated studies. It breeds across almost the whole Holarctic with just a “gap” between eastern Canada and Alaska. All breeding populations overwinter in sub-Saharan Africa which makes the northern wheatear one of the most long-distant migratory songbirds with extraordinary long non-stop flights across oceans. It is a nocturnal migrant which travels without parental or social aid/guidance. Thus, young birds rely entirely on endogenous mechanisms of timing, route selection and fueling on their first outbound migration. By establishing indoor housing under controlled conditions the endogenous control mechanisms of northern wheatear migration could be revealed. At the same time, environmental factors controlling fueling could be investigated in the field. On migration wheatears occur in a variety of habitats with sparse vegetation where their stopover behavior could be quantitatively studied in the light of “optimal migration” theory by the use of remote balances, radio-tagging and even experimentally manipulated food availability. The present paper summarizes our approach to understand the control of migration in northern wheatears by combining field and laboratory studies at various spatial and temporal scales, and linking various sub-disciplines.

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Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

10.2173/bow.norwhe.02 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Erica H. Dunn ◽

David J. T. Hussell ◽

Josef Kren ◽

Amelia C. Zoerb

Keyword(s):

Northern Wheatear ◽

Oenanthe Oenanthe

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A Revised and Improved Version of the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) Transcriptome

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13040151 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 151

Author(s):

Roberto Carlos Frias-Soler ◽

Lilian Villarín Pildaín ◽

Michael Wink ◽

Franz Bairlein

Keyword(s):

Quality Parameters ◽

Northern Wheatear ◽

Long Distance ◽

Assembly Quality ◽

Oenanthe Oenanthe ◽

Mrna Sequencing ◽

Sequencing Coverage ◽

Muscle Tissues ◽

Migratory Season ◽

Migratory Phenotype

This work presents an updated and more complete version of the transcriptome of a long-distance migrant, the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe). The improved transcriptome was produced from the independent mRNA sequencing of adipose tissue, brain, intestines, liver, skin, and muscle tissues sampled during the autumnal migratory season. This new transcriptome has better sequencing coverage and is more representative of the species’ migratory phenotype. We assembled 20,248 transcripts grouped into 16,430 genes, from which 78% were successfully annotated. All the standard assembly quality parameters were improved in the second transcriptome version.

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