Are migrating birds using a "cactus corridor" in the Sonoran Desert?

This coming Wednesday (September 22) we will have two papers to discuss:

One by Tina that she will post separately, and one on a study that I did as part of my last post doc in Blair Wolf’s lab in New Mexico (http://biology.unm.edu/wolf/Home.html). Based on coinciding timing of Saguaro cactus bloom and bird migration in the Sonora we asked if migratory birds might fuel their journey northwards by exploiting flower nectar as energy and water source. From stable isotope analysis we concluded that Saguaro cacti provided food to the avian community mainly later in the season in the form of fruit and seeds. Nectar seems to be of less importance, and the idea of migrating birds following a nectar corridor on their way north has to be refuted, especially as mainly resident birds seem to profit from Saguaro as food resource.

I will send out the manuscript by email and you can also request it from me (Sophia.engel@teorekol.lu.se) if you did not receive it. I would be glad to receive your feedback, especially as this is a case of "negative results" that are often a little hard to communicate...

Time and place as usual: "Darwin", Wednesday 22 September at 10.15.

I’ll bring fika J