Feather-busting bacteria

Journal ArticleI ONCE HAD A COLLEAGUE who delighted in the aphorism, which he proudly coined himself, "If it's too small to see with the naked eye, it ain't there." Sadly, this view may as well be true for ornithologists who study birds only through unaided eyes, binoculars, or spotting scopes. But birds can also be studied through conventional and electron microscopes

Is melanin a defense against feather-feeding lice?

Journal ArticleThe adaptive basis of plumage color has received much attention, including the finding that color can reveal information about parasite loads to potential mates. A related possibility, that color may be a direct defense against parasites, has received less attention

Two new species of Dennyus (Collodennyus) chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera: Menoponidae) from swiftlets (Apodiformes: Apodidae)

Journal ArticleThe new species Dennyus (Collodennyus) mimirogerorum from the Papuan swiftlet, Aerodramus papuensis (Rand), from Papua New Guinea and D. (C.) bartoni from the Philippine swiftlet, A. mearnsi (Oberholser), from the Philippines are described and illustrated. The genetic distinctiveness of these two species from other close relatives is also evaluated using mitochondrial DNA sequences

Revision of the chewing louse genus Formicaphagus (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from Neotropical Antbirds and Gnateaters (Aves: Passeriformes)

Journal ArticleExamination of specimens of the 15 recognized species of Formicaphagus resulted in 6 new synonymies: F. laemostictus, F. latifrons, and F. peruvianus are junior synonyms of F. picturatus; F. huilae of F. angustifrons; and F. bolivianus and F. thoracicus of F. minutus. Two new species are described from material collected by the junior author in Peru: F. arnoldi (type host Conopophaga ardesiaca) and F. donpetersi (type host Conopophaga peruviana); these are the first louse species described from hosts in the family Conopophagidae, the gnateaters

Comparative effects of mites and lice on the reproductive success of rock doves (Columba livia)

Journal ArticleWe report experimental data comparing the effects of Mesostigmatid mites and Ischnoceran lice on the reproductive performance of a single group of captive rock doves (Columba livid). Several components of host reproductive success were compared for the two groups, including number of eggs laid, hatching success, nestling growth rates, fledging success, post-fledging body mass and survival

Biology, ecology, and evolution of chewing lice

Book ChapterChewing lice are small, dorsoventrally compressed insects and are parasites of virtually all birds (Fig. 1) and some mammals (Fig. 2). Many chewing lice are host specific, being found on only a single species of host. All chewing lice are permanent ectoparasites and complete their entire life cycle on the body of the host, where they feed mainly on feathers, dead skin, blood, or secretions. Chewing lice on mammals apparently do not ingest hair, rather they feed on skin and skin products (Waterhouse 1953). Some species of lice feed on the eggs and molting stages of mites and other lice, including members of their own species (Nelson and Murray 1971). Lice also ingest microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, which are of unknown nutritive value

Ecoimmunity in Darwin's finches: invasive parasites trigger acquired immunity in the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis)

Journal ArticleInvasive parasites pose a serious threat to native animal populations, because hosts with no history of exposure may lack effective immune defenses. Invasive parasites are a particular threat to small, island populations [1,2]. For example, introduced malaria (Plasmodium relictum) has exacerbated the decline of Hawaiian honeycreeper species, many of which are now extinct [3,4]. Darwin's finches have recently been exposed to two introduced parasites of high conservation priority: avian pox virus (Poxvirus avium) and the nest fly Philornis downsi (Figure 1A, 1B) [1,2]

Does avian malaria reduce fledging success: an experimental test of the selection hypothesis

pre-printLike many parasites, avian haematozoa are often found at lower infection intensities in older birds than young birds. One explanation, known as the "selection" hypothesis, is that infected young birds die before reaching adulthood, thus removing the highest infection intensities from the host population. We tested this hypothesis in the field by experimentally infecting nestling rock pigeons (Columba livia) with the malaria parasite Haemoproteus columbae. We compared the condition and fledging success of infected nestlings to that of uninfected controls. There was no significant difference in the body mass, fledging success, age at fledging, or post-fledging survival of experimental versus control birds. These results were unexpected, given that long-term studies of older pigeons have demonstrated chronic effects of H. columbae. We conclude that H. columbae has little impact on nestling pigeons, even when they are directly infected with the parasite. Our study provides no support for the selection hypothesis that older birds have lower parasite loads because parasites are removed from the population by infected nestlings dying. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test the impact of avian malaria using experimental inoculations under natural conditions

Review of the genus Saemundssonia Timmerman (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from the Alcidae (Aves: Charadriiformes), including a new species and new host records

Journal ArticleWe describe the new species Saemundssonia boschi recently collected from Least Auklets {Aethia pusilla (Pallas)) in Alaska and review the 11 names previously applied to Saemundssonia Timmermann species from alcids. Saemundssonia procax (Kellogg and Chapman) is relegated to a new junior synonym of S. grylle (O. Fabricius). along with the previously recognized junior synonym S. megacephalus (Denny). The nine previously described valid species are redescribed and illustrated and four new host records are documented from alcids. Finally, a key is provided for the identification of the ten recognized species of alcid Saemundssonia

How effective is preening against mobile ectoparasites? An experimental test with pigeons and hippoboscid flies

ManuscriptBirds combat ectoparasites with many defences but the first line of defence is grooming behaviour, which includes preening with the bill and scratching with the feet. Preening has been shown to be very effective against ectoparasites. However, most tests have been with feather lice, which are relatively slow moving. Less is known about the effectiveness of preening as a defence against more mobile and evasive ectoparasites such as hippoboscid flies. Hippoboscids, which feed on blood, have direct effects on the host such as anaemia, as well as indirect effects as vectors of pathogens. Hence, effective defence against hippoboscid flies is important. We used captive Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) to test whether preening behaviour helps to control pigeon flies (Pseudolynchia canariensis). We found that pigeons responded to fly infestation by preening twice as much as pigeons without flies. Preening birds killed twice as many flies over the course of our week-long experiment as birds with impaired preening; however, preening did not kill all of the flies. We also tested the role of the bill overhang, which is critical for effective preening against feather lice, by experimentally removing the overhang and re-measuring the effectiveness of preening against flies. Birds without overhangs were as effective at controlling flies as were birds with overhangs. Overall, we found that preening is effective against mobile hippoboscid flies, yet it does not eliminate them. We discuss the potential impact of preening on the transmission dynamics of blood parasites vectored by hippoboscid flies