“Chancing on a spectacle:” co-occurring animal migrations and interspecific interactions

Migrations of diverse wildlife species often converge in space and time, with their journeys shaped by similar forces (i.e., geographic barriers and seasonal resources and conditions); we term this “co-migration.” Supporting this, recent studies have elucidated co-migrations and seasonal patterns that govern the location and timing of multiple species’ journeys. Beyond their significance as natural wonders, species with overlapping migrations may interact ecologically, with potential effects on population and community dynamics. Direct and indirect ecological interactions including predation and competition between migrant species remain poorly understood, in part because migration is the least-studied phase of animals’ annual cycles. To address this gap, we conducted a literature review to examine whether animal migration studies incorporate multiple species and to what extent they investigate interspecific interactions between co-migrants. Following a key word search, we read all migr...