The protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae causes adult and nestling mortality in a declining population of European Turtle Doves, Streptopelia turtur

Studies incorporating the ecology of clinical and sub-clinical disease in wild populations of conservation concern are rare. Here we examine sub-clinical infection by Trichomonas gallinae in a declining population of free-living European Turtle Doves and suggest caseous lesions cause mortality in adults and nestlings through subsequent starvation and/or suffocation. We found a 100% infection rate by T. gallinae in adult and nestling Turtle Doves (n = 25) and observed clinical signs in three adults and four nestlings (28%). Adults with clinical signs displayed no differences in any skeletal measures of size but had a mean 3·7% reduction in wing length, with no overlap compared to those without clinical signs. We also identified T. gallinae as the suggested cause of mortality in one Red-legged Partridge although disease presentation was different. A minimum of four strains of T. gallinae, characterized at the ITS/5·8S/ITS2 ribosomal region, were isolated from Turtle Doves. However, all birds with clinical signs (Turtle Doves and the Red-legged Partridge) carried a single strain of T. gallinae, suggesting that parasite spill over between Columbidae and Galliformes is a possibility that should be further investigated. Overall, we highlight the importance of monitoring populations for sub-clinical infection rather than just clinical disease

Habitat use and tree selection of a declining Afro-Palaearctic migrant at sub-Saharan staging and wintering sites

<p><b>Capsule:</b> Wood Warblers <i>Phylloscopus sibilatrix</i> showed significant selection for tree species and woodland characteristics at staging and wintering sites in sub-Saharan Africa.</p> <p><b>Aims:</b> To investigate home range size, habitat and tree species selection of Wood Warblers at a staging site in Burkina Faso (Koubri) and a wintering site in Ghana (Pepease).</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> Comparing habitat recorded at locations of radio-tagged birds and at control points, we investigated whether there was habitat and tree species selection. We also compared home range size of individual birds between the two sites.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> Home range size did not differ between the two sites. There was significant selection for tree species at both Koubri and Pepease: <i>Anogeissus leiocarpus</i> and <i>Albizia zygia</i>, respectively. At Koubri, there was significant avoidance of the most common tree species (<i>Azadirachta indica</i>, <i>Mangifera indica</i> (both non-native), <i>Vitellaria paradoxa</i> and <i>Acacia</i> spp.). In addition, there was a preference for taller trees and greater tree density at both sites. However, the probability of a point being used declined with increasing number of taller (>14 m) trees.</p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b> Fine-scale selection of woodland habitats suggests that Wood Warblers are likely to suffer the consequences of ongoing land-use change in their West African wintering grounds.</p