Statistical Inference on Tree Swallow Migrations with Random Forests

TL;DR

This paper uses random forests to analyze citizen science data and identify maximum daily temperature as a key factor influencing Tree Swallow migration patterns across the eastern US.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of random forests with formal hypothesis testing to study ecological migration patterns using large-scale citizen science data.

Findings

Maximum daily temperature significantly affects migration timing.

Random forests effectively model complex ecological interactions.

Permutation tests confirm interannual variation in migration patterns.

Abstract

Bird species' migratory patterns have typically been studied through individual observations and historical records. In recent years however, the eBird citizen science project, which solicits observations from thousands of bird watchers around the world, has opened the door for a data-driven approach to understanding the large-scale geographical movements. Here, we focus on the North American Tree Swallow (\textit{Tachycineta bicolor}) occurrence patterns throughout the eastern United States. Migratory departure dates for this species are widely believed by both ornithologists and casual observers to vary substantially across years, but the reasons for this are largely unknown. In this work, we present evidence that maximum daily temperature is a major factor influencing Tree Swallow occurrence. Because it is generally understood that species occurrence is a function of many complex, high-order interactions between ecological covariates, we utilize the flexible modeling approach offered by random forests. Making use of recent asymptotic results, we provide formal hypothesis tests for predictive significance various covariates and also develop and implement a permutation-based approach for formally assessing interannual variations by treating the prediction surfaces generated by random forests as functional data. Each of these tests suggest that maximum daily temperature has a significant effect on migration patterns.