Diseases can play a role in species decline. Among them, haemosporidian parasites, vector-transmitted protozoan parasites, are known to constitute a risk for different avian species. However, the ...magnitude of haemosporidian infection in wild columbiform birds, including strongly decreasing European turtle doves, is largely unknown. We examined the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites
Plasmodium
,
Leucocytozoon
and subgenera
Haemoproteus
and
Parahaemoproteus
in six species of the order Columbiformes during breeding season and migration by applying nested PCR, one-step multiplex PCR assay and microscopy. We detected infections in 109 of the 259 screened individuals (42%), including 15 distinct haemosporidian mitochondrial cytochrome
b
lineages, representing five
H
. (
Haemoproteus
), two
H
. (
Parahaemoproteus
), five
Leucocytozoon
and three
Plasmodium
lineages. Five of these lineages have never been described before. We discriminated between single and mixed infections and determined host species-specific prevalence for each parasite genus. Observed differences among sampled host species are discussed with reference to behavioural characteristics, including nesting and migration strategy. Our results support previous suggestions that migratory birds have a higher prevalence and diversity of blood parasites than resident or short-distance migratory species. A phylogenetic reconstruction provided evidence for
H
. (
Haemoproteus
) as well as
H
. (
Parahaemoproteus
) infections in columbiform birds. Based on microscopic examination, we quantified parasitemia, indicating the probability of negative effects on the host. This study provides a large-scale baseline description of haemosporidian infections of wild birds belonging to the order Columbiformes sampled in the northern hemisphere. The results enable the monitoring of future changes in parasite transmission areas, distribution and diversity associated with global change, posing a potential risk for declining avian species as the European turtle dove.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Avian trichomonosis is known as a widespread disease in columbids and passerines, and recent findings have highlighted the pathogenic character of some lineages found in wild birds. Trichomonosis can ...affect wild bird populations including endangered species, as has been shown for Mauritian pink pigeons Nesoenas mayeri in Mauritius and suggested for European turtle doves Streptopelia turtur in the UK. However, the disease trichomonosis is caused only by pathogenic lineages of the parasite Trichomonas gallinae. Therefore, understanding the prevalence and distribution of both potentially pathogenic and non-pathogenic T. gallinae lineages in turtle doves and other columbids across Europe is relevant to estimate the potential impact of the disease on a continental scale.
We examined 281 samples from four wild columbid species for Trichomonas infection and determined the genetic lineages. The overall prevalence was 74%. There were significant differences between the species (P = 0.007). The highest prevalence was found in stock doves Columba oenas (86%, n = 79) followed by wood pigeons Columba palumbus (70%, n = 61) and turtle doves (67%, n = 65), while three of five collared doves Streptopelia decaocto (60%) were infected. We found seven different lineages, including four lineages present in columbids in the UK, one lineage already described from Spain and three new lineages, one of those found in a single turtle dove migrating through Italy and another one found in a breeding stock dove. Stock doves from Germany and collared doves from Malta were infected with a potentially pathogenic lineage (lineage A/B), which is known to cause lesions and mortality in columbids, raptors and finches.
Generally, turtle doves showed high prevalence of Trichomonas infection. Furthermore, the potentially pathogenic lineage A/B (or genotype B according to previous literature) was found in a recovering stock dove population. Both findings are worrying for these columbid species due to the occasional epidemic character of trichomonosis, which can have severe negative effects on populations.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Accurate knowledge of a species’ diets is fundamental to understand their ecological requirements. Next-generation sequencing technology has become a powerful and non-invasive tool for diet ...reconstruction through DNA metabarcoding. Here, we applied those methods on faecal samples of Common Woodpigeons
Columba palumbus
, European Turtle Doves
Streptopelia turtur
, and Stock Doves
C. oenas
to investigate their dietary composition. By applying primer pairs targeting both the ITS2 region of plant nuclear DNA and the mitochondrial COI region of metazoan DNA, we provide a complete picture of the food ingested and estimate the dietary overlap between the columbiform species during the breeding season. Animal DNA was present very rarely, and a diverse range of plants from the class Spermatopsida dominated the diet, with Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae as the most frequently represented families. Generally, we detected a variability between species but also amongst individual samples. Plant species already known from previous studies, mainly visual analyses, could be confirmed for our individuals sampled in Germany and the Netherlands. Our molecular approach revealed new plant taxa, e.g. plants of the families Malvaceae for Woodpigeons, Lythraceae for Turtle Doves, and Pinaceae for Stock Doves, not found in previous studies using visual analyses. Although most of the plant species observed were of wild origin, the majority of cultivated plants found were present in higher frequencies of occurrence, suggesting that cultivated food items likely constitute an important part of the diet of the studied species. For Turtle Doves, a comparison with previous studies suggested regional differences, and that food items (historically) considered as important part of their diet, such as Fumitory
Fumaria
sp. and Chickweed
Stellaria media
, were missing in our samples. This indicates that regional variations as well as historic and current data on diet should be considered to plan tailored seed mixtures, which are currently proposed as an important management measure for conservation of the rapidly declining Turtle Dove.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Capsule A method for producing and validating long-term population indices using data from the Common Birds Census and its successor, the Breeding
Bird Survey, is described.
Aim To investigate a ...means of combining site-specific records from two very different surveys into reliable population indices.
Methods A generalized linear model is described for Common Birds Census (CBC) and Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data, and used to identify species and geographical regions for which the resulting temporal trends are comparable, and hence derive long-term trends that straddle the overlap of the two surveys.
Results From 1994 to 2000, when both the CBC and the BBS were in operation, no significant difference in population trends in southeastern Britain between the two surveys was detected for the vast majority of the 73 species considered. CBC data are limited outside this region, but an analysis of BBS data over the same period showed that the trends outside this region were significantly different for around half of the species considered.
Conclusion Although the predominant means of gathering data on terrestrial breeding birds has changed since the 1960s, a joint analysis of the combined data from the surveys can be used to produce annual indices of abundance for most species with sufficient data for either the whole or at least a proportion of Britain.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Nest-site preferences of the Stock Dove Columba oenas population breeding in holes excavated by the Black Woodpecker Drycopus martius in three sites in western Poland was examined. During the ...surveys, 176 different trees with 326 holes of Black Woodpeckers were found and investigated. Habitat data at nest locations were characterized on a fine microhabitat scale — hole tree. We used individual selection indices and canonical variate analysis to describe nest-site preferences. Both analyses provided similar results. Nest-site selection of the Stock Dove was consistently associated with live beeches Fagus sylvatica with more than one hole. These features were clearly associated with diameter at breast height. Moreover, holes situated higher in tree trunk were preferred. Dead trees, mostly Scots Pines Pinus sylvestris, were avoided by the Stock Dove. We suggest that positive selection for smooth-barked beech trees with a number of holes, as well as holes situated higher might reduce the risk of predation by arboreal predators, e.g. the Pine Marten Martes martes. The positive selection for live trees, and clear avoidance of the dead ones, may reduce the cost of incubation and thermoregulation. Moreover, the live beech trees have long life expectancy compared to other tree species. Our results provide evidence that large alive beech trees with the number of holes excavated by Black Woodpeckers are necessary for maintaining breeding population of the Stock Dove.
In October 2004, a free-living Stock Dove (Columba oenas) was found infected with Trichomonas spp. in the district of Soest, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A huge buccal nodular lesion caused an ...occlusion of the esophagus and an external swelling. The bone of the mandibula was already softened and nearly solubilised. The microscopical examination of a wet swab sample from the carcass detected Trichomonas spp. in huge numbers. The morphological diagnosis of the flagellate revealed T. gallinae. Although trichomonosis is well described for several other columbid species around the world, this is probably the first described case of a trichomonosis in a free-living Stock Dove. The possible prevalence in the dove population is discussed.PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
To assess Stock Dove breeding abundance and habitat associations, we mapped calling males in the western part of the Cerová vrchovina Mts. (61 km2 ) during 2016. Oak, Hornbeam and Black Locust ...dominated in the studied forests (36.6 km2 ) while Beech stands aged >60 yrs covered only 3.7% of the forests. Calling males were recorded in 50–125 yrs-old forest stands. When considering calling male records as surrogates of breeding pairs, breeding density was 1.88 pairs/100 ha of the total forest area. The local density varied between 0.05 and 2.17 pairs/ha. The local density of calling males was positively associated with stand age and the proportion of Beech trees in the forest stand. These predictors accounted for 50.0% of variance in Stock Dove density with the proportion of Beech trees explaining ca. twice as much variance as did stand age. A breeding population for the study area in 2016 was estimated to be 69 pairs.
Provider: - Institution: - Data provided by Europeana Collections- All metadata published by Europeana are available free of restriction under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain ...Dedication. However, Europeana requests that you actively acknowledge and give attribution to all metadata sources including Europeana
Provider: - Institution: - Data provided by Europeana Collections- All metadata published by Europeana are available free of restriction under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain ...Dedication. However, Europeana requests that you actively acknowledge and give attribution to all metadata sources including Europeana
Provider: - Institution: - Data provided by Europeana Collections- All metadata published by Europeana are available free of restriction under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain ...Dedication. However, Europeana requests that you actively acknowledge and give attribution to all metadata sources including Europeana
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