Mitochondrial remodeling supports migration in White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

The migratory movements undertaken by birds are among the most energetically demanding behaviors observed in nature. Mitochondria are the source of aerobic energy production on which migration depends, but a key component of mitochondrial function, mitochondrial remodeling, has not been investigated in the context of bird migration. We measured markers of mitochondrial remodeling in the skeletal muscles of the Gambel’s (migratory) and Nuttall’s (non-migratory) White-crowned Sparrows within and outside migratory periods. Gambel’s were collected in 1) a non-migration period (baseline), 2) preparation to depart for spring migration (pre-migration), and 3) active autumn migration (mid-migration). Nuttall’s were collected at time points corresponding to baseline and mid-migration in Gambel’s. Across all sampling periods, we found that migratory birds had greater mitochondrial remodeling compared to non-migratory birds. Furthermore, birds from the migratory population also displayed flexibili..., , , # Mitochondrial remodeling supports migration in White-crowned Sparrows (*Zonotrichia leucophrys*)

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7vj](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7vj)

## Description of the data and file structure

Birds were collected as described in the associated paper. Data files contain the ID assigned to each animal, group, time-point collected (baseline, pre-migration, or mid-migration), sex (m = male, f = female), and the content of each of the proteins determined through western blots. The information contained in each file should be self-explanatory but if you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the corresponding author.

We have submitted our raw data (**Mesquita_Data.xlsx**), R script (**Mesquita_Codes.R**), and supplementary material (**Mesquita_tables_data_ESM.xlsx**).

### Files and variables

#### File: Mesquita\_Data.xlsx

**Description:** 

##### **The first tab “Info” contains general information about the paper, including title, authors,...