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Inter-seasonal events are believed to connect and affect reproductive performance (RP) in animals. However, much remains unknown about such carry-over effects (COEs), in particular how behaviour patterns during highly mobile life-history stages, such as migration, affect RP. To address this question, we measured at-sea behaviour in a long-lived migratory seabird, the Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) and obtained data for individual migration cycles over 5 years, by tracking with geolocator/immersion loggers, along with 6 years of RP data. We found that individual breeding and non-breeding phenology correlated with subsequent RP, with birds hyperactive during winter more likely to fail to reproduce. Furthermore, parental investment during one year influenced breeding success during the next, a COE reflecting the trade-off between current and future RP. Our results suggest that different life-history stages interact to influence RP in the next breeding season, so that behaviour patterns during winter may be important determinants of variation in subsequent fitness among individuals.

Original publication

DOI

10.1098/rsbl.2015.0671

Type

Journal article

Journal

Biol Lett

Publication Date

10/2015

Volume

11

Keywords

adaptive boosting, machine learning, migration, multi-event capture–mark–recapture model, phenology, Animal Migration, Animals, Birds, Life Cycle Stages, Reproduction, Seasons, Telemetry