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Diversity
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Bird Parasites-2nd Edition
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Bird Parasites-2nd Edition

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 11309

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Gary Voelker

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Interests: biodiversity; biogeography; birds; molecular ecology; phylogeography; systematics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Birds are parasitized by a wide variety of endo- and ectoparasites, including arthropods, helminths, and protists.  While the effects of some parasites on their bird hosts can be relatively benign, other parasites have been shown to have major impacts on their hosts, with effects ranging from reduced reproductive fitness to death.  Parasites can also adversely impact entire communities, with the effects of malaria parasites on the naïve Hawaiian avifauna being perhaps the best-known example. While our knowledge of avian parasites and host–parasite relationships has increased considerably over the past several decades, considerable gaps remain, including parasite distributions, host–parasite relationships, and the effects of geography on these distributions and relationships. 

In this Special Issue, we seek to bring together papers that will advance our overall knowledge of bird parasites, and provide a further foundation for our ability to conduct studies that can, for example,1) test ecological theory, 2) provide an improved understanding of biogeographic patterns and the drivers of those patterns, 3) allow for the predictive modelling of parasite distributions based on climate change predictions, 4) improve our knowledge of parasite effects on host fitness, and 5) allow for broader assessments of host specialization versus host generalism by parasites and the factors underlying these strategies.

Prof. Dr. Gary Voelker
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • avian parasites
  • taxonomic diversity and host associations
  • host-parasite interactions
  • ecological assessment and modelling
  • biogeographical distribution
  • climate change effects

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 1828 KiB  
Article
First Records of Feather Mites and Haemosporidian Parasites in the Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) from the Westernmost Part of the Species Breeding Range
by Nevena Kolarova, Aneliya Bobeva, Mihaela Ilieva, Christoffer Sjöholm and Dimitar Dimitrov
Diversity 2024, 16(8), 436; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16080436 - 23 Jul 2024
Viewed by 689
Abstract
Host range expansions are an important factor for shaping the community of associated symbiotic organisms. Birds, as a highly mobile group of animals, are of particular interest to study with respect to the diversity and the distribution of the organisms using them as [...] Read more.
Host range expansions are an important factor for shaping the community of associated symbiotic organisms. Birds, as a highly mobile group of animals, are of particular interest to study with respect to the diversity and the distribution of the organisms using them as hosts during such large-scale movements. The Isabelline wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina) is a species with a main breeding area in Asia, which has expanded west, towards the Balkans, since the middle of the last century. We collected feather mites and blood samples for haemosporidian parasites screening from adult and juvenile Isabelline wheatears from the westernmost edge of the species breeding area in western Bulgaria. The feather mite species Alaudicola rosickyi (Černy, 1963), previously found on other wheatear species, was found for the first time on Isabelline wheatears. One species of avian malaria parasites—Plasmodium relictum (Grassi and Feletti, 1891) (lineage SGS1)—represented the first record of a malaria parasite in this host species in Europe. Increasing the sampling in the South European populations of the species will shed light on blood parasite species diversity and will reveal if other feather mite species have followed their host during its breeding range expansion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bird Parasites-2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 551 KiB  
Article
Host Migration and Size Do Not Influence the Prevalence of Most Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera and Ischnocera) on Shorebirds (Aves: Charadriiformes) across the World
by Alexandra Ashley Grossi, Myung-Bok Lee, Chunpo Tian, Fasheng Zou, Chi-Yeung Choi and Daniel Roland Gustafsson
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020200 - 1 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2058
Abstract
Patterns of prevalence in chewing lice (Phthiraptera) on wild birds are poorly known, as are the underlying factors that influence these patterns. Here, we analyze a data set consisting of published prevalence data of lice on shorebirds, as well as new prevalence data [...] Read more.
Patterns of prevalence in chewing lice (Phthiraptera) on wild birds are poorly known, as are the underlying factors that influence these patterns. Here, we analyze a data set consisting of published prevalence data of lice on shorebirds, as well as new prevalence data from shorebirds examined in Australia, Canada, China, Japan, and Sweden between 2007 and 2020. In total, prevalence data from 10 genera of lice from over 110 host species were included, including all major families of shorebirds. Using a generalized linear mixed model, we examine how the prevalence of lice of different genera varies between different sets of birds, focusing on two factors associated with migration (migration length and migration route). We found that host body size does not influence prevalence of lice in the Charadriiformes for any of the four most common and widely distributed louse genera (Actornithophilus, Austromenopon, Quadraceps, and Saemundssonia). Moreover, neither of the two migration variables showed any statistically significant correlations with prevalence, except for the genus Saemundssonia in which the prevalence of lice on short-distance migrants was significantly higher than on intermediate- and long-distance migrants. We also present 15 new records of chewing lice for China and 12 for Australia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bird Parasites-2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 3756 KiB  
Article
Blood Parasites of Vangas and Other Corvoidea on Madagascar
by Regina Magaña Vázquez, Friederike Woog, Anke Dinkel, Ute Mackenstedt and Sandrine Musa
Diversity 2022, 14(10), 888; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14100888 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2864
Abstract
Madagascar hosts a great diversity of bird species. This study focuses on the description of the diversity and prevalence of blood parasites (Haemosporida, trypanosomes and filarioid nematodes) in 131 blood samples of 14 species of Corvoidea, namely vangas (Vangidae), Coracina cinerea (Campephagidae), Dicrurus [...] Read more.
Madagascar hosts a great diversity of bird species. This study focuses on the description of the diversity and prevalence of blood parasites (Haemosporida, trypanosomes and filarioid nematodes) in 131 blood samples of 14 species of Corvoidea, namely vangas (Vangidae), Coracina cinerea (Campephagidae), Dicrurus forficatus (Dicruridae) and Terpsiphone mutata (Monarchidae) found in primary rainforests on Madagascar. Blood parasites were detected using both molecular and microscopic methods. Multiplex PCR was used to detect mixed haemosporidian infections and nested PCR was used to describe a 479 bp fragment of the haemosporidian cytochrome b (cytb) gene. Furthermore, a 770 bp SSU rRNA fragment of trypanosomes, and, for microfilariae, a 690 bp fragment of 28S rRNA, as well as a 770 bp fragment of 28S rRNA, were amplified for identification using nested PCRs. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out for all sequences obtained from all blood parasite taxa. Over half of the samples (54.2%; n = 71) were infected with Haemosporida, whereas only 21.4% (n = 28) were infected with Trypanosoma and 5.3% (n = 7) contained filarioid nematode DNA. Fourteen of 56 blood smears contained some of the above-mentioned parasite taxa. The results corroborate the great diversity of blood parasites in the different bird species studied, especially in vangas. Vangas had the greatest diversity of parasites found, as well as the highest number of multiple infections, which may be due to their morphological diversity and resulting habitat use. Fifteen haemosporidian lineages, seven Trypanosoma and five filarioid nematode isolates were newly discovered in the avian species studied, particularly in the vangas. Members of the other Corvoidea families on Madagascar showed a lower susceptibility for avian haemosporidian parasites than vangas, which could be attributed to possible resistance against those parasites. The study confirmed the host specificity of some Haemosporida and microfilariae; however, it demonstrated that this was not the case for Trypanosoma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bird Parasites-2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 1069 KiB  
Article
Avian Haemosporidian Diversity in South Texas: New Lineages and Variation in Prevalence between Sampling Sources and Sites
by Katrina D. Keith, John P. Pistone, Tyler A. Campbell and Gary A. Voelker
Diversity 2022, 14(5), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050378 - 11 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2209
Abstract
Avian haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium) in Texas are relatively understudied for such a large geographic area with diverse ecoregions. Our study sites in south Texas, located in two adjacent ecoregions, present the opportunity for investigating patterns and possible [...] Read more.
Avian haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium) in Texas are relatively understudied for such a large geographic area with diverse ecoregions. Our study sites in south Texas, located in two adjacent ecoregions, present the opportunity for investigating patterns and possible causes of infections between habitats, and characterizing the baseline makeup of the avian malaria community. We assessed the avian haemosporidian community using their mtDNA cytb gene in 576 birds, 25.69% of which were infected. The overall detection rate was much higher from blood samples than tissue samples, and the more arid ecoregion had a significantly lower overall prevalence. Findings also revealed significantly lower Plasmodium infections in the more arid ecoregion. We identified 25 novel lineages which included 16 Haemoproteus, 2 Leucocytozoon, and 7 Plasmodium lineages. This information establishes a baseline of prevalence for these ecoregions and provides insight to the disease ecology of resident and migrant birds of this area. We assert that baseline knowledge of this type is necessary for meaningful comparisons to areas of high anthropogenic change, and essential to aiding conservation efforts of birds in future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bird Parasites-2nd Edition)
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11 pages, 1782 KiB  
Article
Elevational Patterns of Blowfly Parasitism in Two Hole Nesting Avian Species
by Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
Diversity 2021, 13(11), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13110591 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2506
Abstract
Climate change is predicted to cause shifts in parasite distributions, leading to encounters with new hosts. Mountains offer a natural experimental background to study how parasite distributions vary across climatic gradients. Parasite abundance is generally assumed to decrease with ascending elevation, as colder [...] Read more.
Climate change is predicted to cause shifts in parasite distributions, leading to encounters with new hosts. Mountains offer a natural experimental background to study how parasite distributions vary across climatic gradients. Parasite abundance is generally assumed to decrease with ascending elevation, as colder climates may preclude several parasites to complete their life cycles. The present study analyses the elevational variation in the prevalence and intensity of the blowfly Protocalliphora azurea found in the nests of two hosts—the coal tit (Periparus ater) and great tit (Parus major)—in Sierra Nevada (SE Spain). Protocalliphora azurea adults are free-living flies, while their larvae are nest-dwelling parasites that feed on nestling blood. In contrast to initial predictions, P. azurea larvae were less prevalent at lower elevations. In Mediterranean environments, the colder and damper climate of medium and high elevations might favour this parasite. Alternatively, greater anthropogenic perturbation in lowland environments may have a negative impact on the parasite. The findings also show that the two host species had similar parasite loads. As coal tits are half the size of great tits, this suggests that the coal tits were more severely parasitised. In conclusion, the generalised assumption that parasite abundance decreases with elevation does not hold true for the present case and elevational parasite patterns probably depend on specific host–parasite systems and climatic conditions in the mountains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bird Parasites-2nd Edition)
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