Diel and seasonal rhythmicity in activity and corticosterone in an Arctic migratory herbivore: A multifaceted approach

Abstract

Birds that migrate from temperate areas to the Arctic to breed lose their strongest Zeitgeber of circadian organization when they cross the Arctic circle in spring: the 24h light-dark cycle. Under continuous daylight, diverse behavioural and physiological patterns have been detected in both free-ranging and laboratory animals. To better understand the evolution of plasticity in circadian clocks, it is essential to study behavioural and physiological rhythmicity in the context of a species ecology. Employing a multifaceted approach, which included wildlife cameras, accelerometers, and non-invasive sampling of hormone metabolites, we investigated activity patterns and corticosterone rhythmicity in a migratory herbivore, the barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis), during its Arctic breeding season in Svalbard. We found that females showed a combination of both ultradian and diel rhythmicity in nest recesses and sleep during incubation. In both parents, these rhythms in activity continued also during the gosling rearing period. During moult, many geese aligned activity with the tidal rhythm. Barnacle geese showed weak diel rhythmicity in excreted corticosterone metabolites. This suggests that while Arctic geese may adopt an alternative Zeitgeber during the Arctic summer to maintain a diel rhythm, ultradian rhythmicity remains essential, allowing the geese to flexibly adjust their rhythms to environmental conditions.