Geographic variation in the altitudinal migration patterns, body size, oxidative status and exploratory behavior in a neotropical bird

To cope with life in the mountains, populations of the same species can exhibit substantial variability in their altitudinal migration patterns and phenotypes in response to local weather conditions. Studying such variability can provide valuable insights into how local populations respond to environmental challenges, and this information can be useful for conservation efforts in mountain ecosystems. Here, we used δ2H values of feathers and blood to evaluate latitudinal variation in altitudinal migration patterns and its possible links with body size, oxidative status, and exploratory behavior in 86 individuals of rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) that breed at low and high elevations in the center (~33°) and south (~38°) of Chile. Our results show that both altitudinal migration patterns and oxidative status were significantly influenced by the latitude of breeding sites, while exploratory behavior was associated with elevation. Notably, we found that fast-explorer birds i..., , , # data z.capensis

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Summary of dataset contents:

Description data set

## Description of the data and file structure

The dataset comprised 72 sexually mature individuals of the Zonotrichia capensis species, which were captured across four distinct study sites located in varying elevations and latitudes within Chile. The collected data included information such as bird identification (Id), study site location, genetically determined sex, morphometric measurements, and additional variables obtained from a novel environment test to characterize exploratory behavior. Furthermore, we obtained total antioxidant values (TAC), measures of oxidative damage (TBARS), and oxidative status (TBARS/TAC) from each individual. Additionally, we analyzed isotopic values of Deuterium present in both feathers and blood samples in some individuals. To ensure comparability of the isotopic data between these samples, we corrected blood values by adding +24ppm to the original Deuterium blood values.

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