Geographical barriers and dispersal propensity interact to limit range expansions of Himalayan birds

Range expansions are limited by two key factors. These are (1) dispersal, which includes a species’ intrinsic mobility, geographical barriers, and their interaction; and (2) the ability of a species to persist beyond its current range. I evaluate the role of these in affecting bird species distributions across the Himalayas, under a hypothesis that many species have recently expanded their range out of an eastern Pleistocene refuge. I measured wing shape as a proxy for dispersal ability and topographic complexity across the Himalayas as a proxy for dispersal barriers. As a factor affecting the potential for persistence in novel locations, I compared similarity of a species’ climatic envelope in the east, the hypothesized historical refuge, and the west, the location of recent colonization. Climatic similarity, wing shape, and the interaction of topographic complexity with wing shape all contribute significantly to the range extent of a given species. The result highlights the important interaction between morphological and landscape factors in affecting successful range expansions. The two dispersal-related parameters together explain two times the variance explained by climate, but I present additional evidence that other factors besides climate—notably biotic interactions—affect the ability of a species to persist beyond its range.