Experience drives innovation of new migration patterns of whooping cranes in response to global change

摘要: Anthropogenic changes in climate and land use are driving migration patterns of birds worldwide. Spatial have been related to long-term temperature trends, but the intrinsic mechanisms by which migratory species adapt environmental change remain largely unexplored. We show that, for a long-lived social species, older with more experience critical innovating new behaviours. Groups containing older, experienced individuals establish overwintering sites closer breeding grounds, leading rapid population-level shift patterns. Furthermore, these areas where increased temperatures food availability from agriculture is high, creating favourable conditions overwintering. Our results reveal that age structure populations behavioural allow global change, particularly animals, behaviour can occur faster than evolution.