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Mycoplasma gallisepticum is one of the most important poultry pathogens that can also infect wild birds, but knowledge of potential non-poultry hosts that could be reservoirs of M. gallisepticum is limited. For the paper presented here, we screened three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Knowledge) to find articles on the occurrence of M. gallisepticum in different wild bird species that were published between 1951 and 2018. Among 314 studies found, we selected and included 50 original articles that met the pre-established criteria. From those publications we extracted the following information: name of the first author, year of publication, year of sample isolation, country, region, number of birds sampled, number of birds tested by each method, number of positive samples, diagnostic criteria, and if birds were wild or captive. Because different detection techniques were used to confirm the presence of M. gallisepticum in one animal, we decided to perform the meta analyses separately for each method. The estimated prevalence of M. gallisepticum in wild birds was different by each method of detection. Our summary revealed that M. gallisepticum was present in 56 species of bird belonging to 11 different orders, of which 21 species were reported suffering both past and current infection. Our work provides information on wild bird species that could be considered potential reservoirs or carriers of M. gallisepticum and could be helpful to set the direction for future research on the spread and phylogeny of M. gallisepticum in different hosts.

A new monotypic genus Tanopicobia gen. nov. is established for a new species Tanopicobia trachyphoni sp. nov., parasitizing Trachyphonus erythrocephalus Cabanis, 1878 (Piciformes: Lybiidae) from Tanzania. In phylogenetic analyses based on morphological data and constructed using the maximum parsimony approach, this taxon falls within the subfamily Picobiinae Johnston and Kethley, 1973 in the Neopicobia-species-group as closely related to the genus Pipicobia Glowska and Schmidt, 2014. Tanopicobia differs from Pipicobia by the following features in females: genital setae absent; setae ve are situated far and posteromedial to the level of setal bases vi; setae 3a are thick and knobbed. Additionally, a new generic key for subfamily Picobiinae is constructed and general host-parasite ecological and phylogenetic relationships are discussed. Picobiines are present in several lineages of neoavian birds, from basal Galloanseres to terminal Telluraves, which are infested by 70 (89.7% of all) species of these ectoparasites.

The peninsular effect is a geographical phenomenon that explains patterns of species richness. Given that spatial variation in species richness along a peninsular may be driven by multiple processes, we aimed to identify the sources of latitudinal patterns in passerine species richness and test hypotheses regarding (1) recent deterministic processes (climate, primary productivity, forest area, and habitat diversity), (2) anthropogenic processes (habitat fragmentation), and (3) stochastic processes (migration influence) in the Korean peninsula. We used the distribution data of 147 passerine species from 2006 to 2012. Single regression between passerine species richness and latitude supported the existence of the peninsular effect. Mean temperature increased with decreasing latitude, as did habitat diversity but leaf area index and forest area decline. However, mean temperature and forest area only influenced passerine species richness. Although habitat diversity influenced passerine species richness, it was counter to the expectations associated with peninsular effect. The number of habitat patches decreased as latitude increased but it had no effect on passerine species richness. Ratio of migrant species richness showed no significant relationship with leaf area index, forest area, and habitat diversity. However, the ratio of migrant species richness increased with decreasing mean temperature and that contributed to the increase in passerine species. Overall, our finding indicate that the observed species richness pattern in peninsulas with the tip pointing south (in the northern hemisphere) counter to the global latitudinal gradient. These results were caused by the peninsular effect associated with complex mechanism that interact with climate, habitat area, and migrant species inflow.

Glyphorynchus spirurus (GSP), also called the Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (Furnariidae) has an extensive distribution in the Americas, including the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Nevertheless, there is no information about its karyotype or genome organization. To contribute to the knowledge of chromosomal evolution in Passeriformes we analysed the karyotype of Glyphorynchus spirurus by classic and molecular cytogenetics methods. We show that Glyphorynchus spirurus has a 2n = 80 karyotype with a fundamental number (FN) of 84, similar to the avian putative ancestral karyotype (PAK). Glyphorynchus spirurus pair 1 was heteromorphic in the Tapajós population whereby the short arms varied in sizes, possibly due to a pericentric inversion, as described in other Furnariidae birds. FISH with the Histone H5 probe revealed a signal in the pericentromeric region of G. spirurus chromosome 5 and rDNA 18S showed interstitial signal in GSP-1. Chromosome painting with Gallus gallus (GGA) macrochromosomes 1–9 probes showed disruption of chromosome syntenies of GGA-1, 2 and 4 by fission in Glyphorynchus spirurus. Our results confirm that the GGA1 centric fission is a synapomorphic character for the phylogenetic branch composed of Strigiformes, Passeriformes, Columbiformes and Falconiformes. On the other hand, the GGA-2 fission is reported here for the first time in Passeriformes. Chromosome painting with BOE whole chromosome probes confirmed these rearrangements in Glyphorynchus spirurus revealed by Gallus gallus 1–9 probes, in addition to enabling the establishment of genome-wide homology map. Fil: Ribas, Talita Fernanda Augusto. Universidade Federal do Pará; Brasil Fil: Nagamachi, Cleusa Yoshiko. Universidade Federal do Pará; Brasil. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimiento Científico y Tecnológico; Brasil Fil: Aleixo, Alexandre. Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi; Brasil Fil: Pinheiro, Melquizedec Luiz Silva. Universidade Federal do Pará; Brasil Fil: O'Brien, Patricia Caroline Mary. University of Cambridge; Reino Unido Fil: Ferguson Smith, Malcolm Andrew. University of Cambridge; Reino Unido Fil: Yang, Fengtang. Wellcome Sanger Institute; Reino Unido Fil: Suarez, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Pieczarka, Julio Cesar. Universidade Federal do Pará; Brasil. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimiento Científico y Tecnológico; Brasil

Background The mobility of birds across or between continents exposes them to numerous vectors that have the potential to transmit pathogens and spread them into new regions. A combination of rich species diversity of birds along with the small amount of molecular studies in Iran makes observing the blood parasite distribution in wild avian populations indispensable for further estimation and administration of blood parasites. Methodology/Principal findings In order to evaluate the infection rate and molecular context of avian blood parasites, bird samples were collected (passerine = 316 and non-passerine = 14) in eight provinces of northern Iran between June to September 2015 and 2016. All bird samples were examined for haematoprotozoan infections by morphological screening using light microscope and mtDNA cytb gene amplification. A total of 115 birds were positive for blood parasites by molecular approach (34.84% overall infection). The infection rate of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon were 33.03%, 1.21%, and 0.6%, respectively. Sequences analysis has detected 43 lineages in Iranian birds’ hosts. Lineages were attributed to three genera Haemoproteus (n = 37), Plasmodium (n = 4), and Leucocytozoon (n = 2), of which 23 lineages fully matched previously recorded sequences in GenBank and MalAvi data reciprocities. Five lineages of ACDUM1, ACDUM2, PARUS1, PYERY01, and SISKIN1 were detected in multiple hosts’ species from dissimilar families. In Bayesian tree, all sequences were clustered in three main monophyletic clades as Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon genera. Conclusions/Significance As the first study outlining the molecular detection of hematozoa of passerines from Iran, the current study has recorded 20 new lineages for three genera of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon. Additional investigations into these taxa in the avifauna for the other parts of Iran may provide extra information on blood parasites, hosts relationships and distribution patterns.

Avian trichomonosis is a widespread disease in columbids and other birds, caused by ingestion of the unicellular flagellate Trichomonas gallinae which proliferate primarily in the upper respiratory tracts. Studies using genetic analyses have determined some highly pathogenic lineages in birds, but the prevalence and distribution of potentially pathogenic and non-pathogenic T. gallinae lineages in wild birds is still not well known. We examined 440 oral swab samples of 35 bird species collected between 2015 and 2017 in Hesse, central Germany, for Trichomonas spp. infection and for determining the genetic lineages. Of these birds, 152 individuals were caught in the wild and 288 individuals were admitted from the wild to a veterinary clinic. The overall Trichomonas spp. prevalence was 35.6%. We observed significant differences between bird orders, with the highest prevalence in owls (58%) and columbids (50%), while other orders had slightly lower prevalences, with 36% in Accipitriformes, 28% in Falconiformes and 28% in Passeriformes. Among 71 successfully sequenced samples, we found 13 different haplotypes, including two previously described common lineages A/B (20 samples) and C/V/N (36 samples). The lineage A/B has been described as pathogenic, causing lesions and mortality in columbids, raptors and finches. This lineage was found in 11 of the 35 species, including columbids (feral pigeon, woodpigeon, stock dove), passerines (greenfinch, chaffinch, blackbird) and raptors (common kestrel, sparrowhawk, red kite, peregrine falcon and common buzzard). One new lineage (R) was found in a sample of a chaffinch. In conclusion, we found that the prevalence of Trichomonas spp. infection in wild birds was high overall, and the potentially pathogenic lineage A/B was widespread. Our findings are worrying, as epidemic outbreaks of trichomonosis have already been observed in Germany in several years and can have severe negative effects on bird populations. This disease may add to the multiple pressures that birds face in areas under high land-use intensity.

Pair collaborative behavior may play an important role in avian reproduction. However, evidence for this mainly comes from certain ecological groups (e.g. passerines). We studied the coordination of parents in foraging and its effect on food provisioning rate and chick growth in a small seabird, the Dovekie (Little auk, Alle alle). The species exhibits a dual foraging strategy, where provisioning adults make foraging trips of short (mean ~2 h; to provide food for the chick) and long duration (mean ~ 13 h; mainly for adults self-maintenance, although the food is also brought to the chick). We expected that offspring would benefit if parents coordinate their foraging patterns: one making short trips in the time when the other performing the long one. We examined this hypothesis using Monte Carlo randomization tests on field data collected during observations of individually marked birds. We found that parents did indeed adjust provisioning, making their long and short trips in an alternating pattern with respect to each other. Furthermore, we found that a higher level of coordination is associated with a lower variability in the duration of inter-feeding intervals, although this does not affect chick growth. Nevertheless, our results provide compelling evidence on the coordinated behavior of breeding partners.

Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas. Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular. Bel?m, PA, Brazil. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Max Planck Institute for Ornithology. Department of Behavioral Neurobiology. Seewiesen, Germany. Max Planck Institute for Ornithology. Department of Behavioral Neurobiology. Seewiesen, Germany. Max Planck Institute for Ornithology. Department of Behavioral Neurobiology. Seewiesen, Germany. University of Cambridge. Department of Veterinary Medicine. Cambridge Resource Centre for Comparative Genomics. Cambridge, United Kingdom. University of Cambridge. Department of Veterinary Medicine. Cambridge Resource Centre for Comparative Genomics. Cambridge, United Kingdom. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Laborat?rio de Cultura de Tecidos e Citogen?tica. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil / Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Exatas e Naturais. Faculdade de Ci?ncias Naturais. Bel?m, PA, Brazil. Songbird species (order Passeriformes, suborder Oscines) are important models in various experimental fields spanning behavioural genomics to neurobiology. Although the genomes of some songbird species were sequenced recently, the chromosomal organization of these species is mostly unknown. Here we focused on the two most studied songbird species in neuroscience, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and the canary (Serinus canaria). In order to clarify these issues and also to integrate chromosome data with their assembled genomes, we used classical and molecular cytogenetics in both zebra finch and canary to define their chromosomal homology, localization of heterochromatic blocks and distribution of rDNA clusters. We confirmed the same diploid number (2n = 80) in both species, as previously reported. FISH experiments confirmed the occurrence of multiple paracentric and pericentric inversions previously found in other species of Passeriformes, providing a cytogenetic signature for this order, and corroborating data from in silico analyses. Additionally, compared to other Passeriformes, we detected differences in the zebra finch karyotype concerning the morphology of some chromosomes, in the distribution of 5S rDNA clusters, and an inversion in chromosome 1.

The availability of small, lightweight tracking devices enhances our ability to study birds during mobile phases of their lives. Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor, a model species of wild songbird, are well-studied during their breeding season; but our understanding of their biology at other times of the year, when they are not tied to the fixed location of a nest, is more limited. We developed a lightweight radio tag with no battery (solar nanotag) to study the movements of small animals, and we deployed it to explore the behavior of Tree Swallows after the end of their summer breeding season. We tagged 32 breeding adult swallows and 36 juveniles and monitored their presence and absence at the breeding site during the post-fledging period. Although our observations are based on very small sample sizes, the tags revealed previously unknown patterns in Tree Swallow behavior during the post-breeding season. Some Tree Swallow fledglings continued to visit the site repeatedly in the months following the nesting season, with the latest detection occurring on September 30th; by contrast, all adults had permanently departed by the end of July. These results inform future hypotheses about post-breeding movements in Tree Swallows. But, more generally, the detection of tagged swallows on their distant wintering grounds, seven months after tagging, indicates the potential of studying small passerine movements throughout their entire lifetimes, and suggests a rich array of applications for these "Life Tags" to study the movements of small animals world-wide.

Field research techniques are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the scientific community. There is a growing need for field biology studies to shift towards increasing efficiency and quality of results while simultaneously decreasing cost in both the researcher's time and resources. I tested the efficacy of using multiple recorded birdcall lures (n = 172 species) to improve mist-net captures at a subtropical African savanna setting. Capture success was compared between passive and birdcall enhanced mist-nets during winter and summer seasons. Results suggest that the use of birdcalls does significantly increase the total number of birds caught in both seasons and also increases the diversity of passerine species. Conventional passive mist-nets without an audio lure were initially productive but their capture rate subsequently decreased as sampling days progressed. Birdcall lure enhanced mist-nets had a constant capture output during the summer season. The most responsive birds to audio lures were gregarious species (e.g. Pycnonotus barbatus, Dryoscopus cubla, Prionops plumatus, Phoeniculus purpureus, Turdoides jardineii and Lamprotornis chalybaeus) and the aggressive Dicrurus adsimilis and Acridotheres tristis. I conclude that birdcall lures can be used in summer and winter seasons to improve mist-net captures especially for studies focusing on gregarious and aggressive passerine species in a sub-tropical African savanna setting.

Background Avian bornaviruses are a genetically diverse group of viruses initially discovered in 2008. They are known to infect several avian orders. Bornaviruses of parrots and related species (Psittaciformes) are causative agents of proventricular dilatation disease, a chronic and often fatal neurologic disease widely distributed in captive psittacine populations. Although knowledge has considerably increased in the past years, many aspects of the biology of avian bornaviruses are still undiscovered. In particular, the precise way of transmission remains unknown. Aims and Methods In order to collect further information on the epidemiology of bornavirus infections in birds we collected samples from captive and free-ranging aquatic birds (n = 738) and Passeriformes (n = 145) in Germany and tested them for the presence of bornaviruses by PCR assays covering a broad range of known bornaviruses. We detected aquatic bird bornavirus 1 (ABBV-1) in three out of 73 sampled free-ranging mute swans (Cygnus olor) and one out of 282 free-ranging Eurasian oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus). Canary bornavirus 1 (CnBV-1), CnBV-2 and CnBV-3 were detected in four, six and one out of 48 captive common canaries (Serinus canaria forma domestica), respectively. In addition, samples originating from 49 bornavirus-positive captive Psittaciformes were used for determination of parrot bornavirus 2 (PaBV-2) and PaBV-4 sequences. Bornavirus sequences compiled during this study were used for phylogenetic analysis together with all related sequences available in GenBank. Results of the Study Within ABBV-1, PaBV-2 and PaBV-4, identical or genetically closely related bornavirus sequences were found in parallel in various different avian species, suggesting that inter-species transmission is frequent relative to the overall transmission of these viruses. Our results argue for an important role of horizontal transmission, but do not exclude the additional possibility of vertical transmission. Furthermore we defined clearly separated sequence clusters within several avian bornaviruses, providing a basis for an improved interpretation of transmission events within and between wild bird populations and captive bird collections.

The California West Nile virus (WNV) Dead Bird Surveillance Program (DBSP) is an important component of WNV surveillance in the state. We evaluated FTA™ and RNASound™ cards as an alternative method for sampling dead birds for WNV molecular testing as these cards allow for more cost effective, rapid, and safer diagnostic sampling than the shipment of bird carcasses. To evaluate accuracy of results among avian sampling regimes, Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) results from FTA™ and RNASound™ cards were compared with results from kidney tissue, brain tissue, or oral swabs in lysis buffer in 2012-2013. In addition, RT-PCR results were compared with results from oral swabs tested by rapid antigen tests (RAMP™ and VecTOR™). While test results from the cards were not as sensitive as kidney tissue testing, they were more likely to provide accurate results than rapid antigen tests, and detected WNV in corvids as well as in other passerines, raptors, and waterfowl. Overall, WNV RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) scores from the cards were higher than those from tissue testing, but both card products displayed high sensitivity and specificity. American Crow samples provided the highest sensitivity. The cards also proved to be easier and more convenient vehicles for collecting and shipping samples, and in 2014 our program launched use of RNASound™ cards in the DBSP. Both FTA™ and RNASound™ products displayed 96% agreement with tissue results and are an adequate alternative sampling method for WNV dead bird testing.

Avian annual survival has received much attention, yet little is known about seasonal patterns in survival, especially of migratory passerines. In order to evaluate survival rates and timing of mortality within the breeding season of adult reed warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), mark-recapture data were collected in southwest Poland, between 2006 and 2012. A total of 612 individuals (304 females and 308 males) were monitored throughout the entire breeding season, and their capture-recapture histories were used to model survival rates. Males showed higher survival during the breeding season (0.985, 95% CI: 0.941-0.996) than females (0.869, 95% CI: 0.727-0.937). Survival rates of females declined with the progression of the breeding season (from May to August), while males showed constant survival during this period. We also found a clear pattern within the female (but not male) nesting cycle: survival was significantly lower during the laying, incubation, and nestling periods (0.934, 95% CI: 0.898-0.958), when birds spent much time on the nest, compared to the nest building and fledgling periods (1.000, 95% CI: 1.00-1.000), when we did not record any female mortality. These data (coupled with some direct evidence, like bird corpses or blood remains found next to/on the nest) may suggest that the main cause of adult mortality was on-nest predation. The calculated survival rates for both sexes during the breeding season were high compared to annual rates reported for this species, suggesting that a majority of mortality occurs at other times of the year, during migration or wintering. These results have implications for understanding survival variation within the reproductive period as well as general trends of avian mortality.

Identifying relationships between variables in ecological systems is challenging due to the large number of interacting factors. One system studied in detail is avian reproduction, where molecular analyses have revealed dramatic variation in rates of extra-pair paternity-the frequency with which broods contain individuals sired by different males. Despite the attention the topic has received, identification of ecological predictors of the observed variation remains elusive. In this study we evaluate how structural equation modeling-which allows for simultaneous estimation of covariation between all variables in a model-can help identify significant relationships between ecological variables and extra-pair paternity. We estimated the correlation of eight different variables using data from 36 species of passerines by including them in six different models of varying complexity. We recover strong support for species with lower rates of male care having higher rates of extra-pair paternity. Our results also suggest that testes size, range size, and longevity all potentially have a relationship with rates of extra-pair paternity; however, interpretation of this result is more challenging. More generally, these results demonstrate the utility of applying structural equation modeling to understanding correlations among interacting variables in complex biological systems.

Wing morphology strongly affects flight performance which may consequently decline during feather moult due to the creation of feather gaps in the wing. Hence, the size and shape of moult-related wing gap may directly affect flight capacity. Here I examined the rare divergent primary moult sequence compared to the more common descendant moult sequence. In the divergent moult, the focus of primary moult is shifted from P1 (primary feather numbered descendantly) to another primary between P2 and P5, and then primaries are moulted in two concurrent waves, one descendant and the other ascendant. The result of this rare moult sequence is the splitting of the wing gap to two smaller gaps. Using a large moult database including 6,763 individuals of 32 Western Palaearctic passerine species, I found evidence of divergent moult only among 27 individuals of 12 species. I examined the speed of wing-feather moult for each individual that moulted divergently compared to a control group of individuals at the same moult stage which moulted following the common descending sequence. The results indicate that the sequence of primary moult and moult speed are correlated. Individuals which moulted divergently moulted their primaries with higher moult speed than descendant moulters. The applicability of this study is weakened by the dearth of moult data, thus making it difficult to draw conclusions for a large range of species. Ornithologists and bird ringers are therefore encouraged to collect more basic moult data during their field study.

Host and pathogen ecology are often closely linked, with evolutionary processes often leading to the development of host specificity traits in some pathogens. Host specificity may range from ‘generalist’, where pathogens infect any available competent host; to ‘specialist’, where pathogens repeatedly infect specific host species or families. Avian malaria ecology in the region remains largely unexplored, despite the presence of vulnerable endemic avian species. We analysed the expression of host specificity in avian haemosporidia, by applying a previously developed host specificity index to lineages isolated from wetland passerines in the Western Cape, South Africa. Parasite lineages were isolated using PCR and identified when possible using matching lineages deposited in GenBank and in MalAvi. Parasitic clades were constructed from phylogenetic trees consisting of Plasmodium and Haemoproteus lineages. Isolated lineages matched some strains of Plasmodium relictum , P. elongatum , Haemoproteus sylvae and H. lanii . Plasmodium lineages infected a wide range of hosts from several avian families in a generalist pattern of infection. Plasmodium spp. also exhibited an infection trend according to host abundance rather than host species. By contrast, Haemoproteus lineages were typically restricted to one or two host species or families, and displayed higher host fidelity than Plasmodium spp. The findings confirm that a range of host specificity traits are exhibited by avian haemosporidia in the region. The traits show the potential to not only impact infection prevalence within specific host species, but also to affect patterns of infection at the community level.

Bacteria play a central role in animal health. Yet, little is known about the acquisition of bacteria and the extent to which bacteria are acquired from different environmental sources. For example, bird nests host diverse bacteria associated with the eggs, nestlings and nesting material, but previous research has typically focussed on only a limited number of nest components at a time. It therefore remains unknown to what extent bacteria are transmitted between these components. Using both molecular and culture techniques, we characterised nest-associated bacterial assemblages throughout the entire nesting cycle of reed warblers by sampling bacteria on eggs before and during incubation, within nestling faeces, and on the nesting material of post-breeding nests. We found that bacterial assemblages clustered by nest component. Yet some overlap existed between nest components, suggesting that bacterial transmission across components is likely to occur. Eggs and nestlings from the same nest harboured more similar bacteria than expected by chance, suggesting an influence of environment or genetics on bacterial assemblages. Bacterial loads were not lower on incubated eggs. Instead, incubation was associated with a change in the structure of assemblages, including a decrease in potentially-harmful Gram-negative bacteria. In addition we show for the first time, that incubation is associated with the complete extinction of harmful haemolytic bacteria. Overall, our study appears to be the first to demonstrate differences in bacterial assemblages between bird nest components. In addition, we highlight the complexity of nest bacterial assemblages and provide new insights into the benefits of incubation. published

Since most avian species have been considered anosmic or microsmatic, olfaction and associated behavioural patterns have hardly been investigated. Most importantly, empirical data on avian olfaction is not equally distributed among species. Initial investigations focused on species with relatively big olfactory bulbs because they were thought to have better olfactory capabilities. Hence, in this study we tested the ability of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to use chemical cues as parameters to estimate nest features. House sparrows are a commonly used model species, but their olfactory capabilities have not been studied so far. We offered two different odours to males and females, namely the scent of mouse urine (Mus musculus domesticus), representing a possible competitor and a threat to eggs and hatchlings, and the odour of hay, representing a familiar and innocuous odour. The experiment was performed at the sunset to simulate a first inspection to new possible roosting or nesting sites. Interestingly, males but not females preferred to spend significantly more time in front of the hay odour, than in front of the scent of mouse urine. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that oscines can not only perceive odours but also use olfaction to assess the environment and estimate nest site quality.

A key characteristic of MHC genes is the persistence of allelic lineages over macroevolutionary periods, often through multiple speciation events. This phenomenon, known as trans-species polymorphism (TSP), is well documented in several major taxonomic groups, but has less frequently been observed in birds. The order Passeriformes is arguably the most successful terrestrial vertebrate order in terms of diversity of species and ecological range, but the reasons for this success remain unclear. Passerines exhibit the most highly duplicated MHC genes of any major vertebrate taxonomic group, which may generate increased immune response relative to other avian orders with fewer MHC loci. Here, we describe phylogenetic patterns of the MHC IIB in the passerine family Corvidae. Our results indicate wide-spread TSP within this family, with at least four supported MHC IIB allelic lineages that predate speciation by many millions of years. Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations indicate that divergence of these lineages occurred near the time of the divergence of the Passeriformes and other avian orders. We suggest that the current MHC diversity observed in passerines is due in part to the multiple duplication of a single MHC locus, DAB1, early in passerine evolution and that subsequent duplications of these paralogues have contributed to the enormous success of this order by increasing their ability to recognize and mount immune responses to novel pathogens.

Sindbis virus (SINV) is a mosquito-borne bird virus that occasionally causes human disease in Fennoscandia, suggested to have cyclic 7-year intervals between outbreaks. Reliable data on human infections in Sweden is however lacking. Here we investigated the SINV antibody prevalence among birds in a Swedish area endemic to SINV to scrutinize if a cyclic variation in antibody prevalence is present in the natural host of SINV. Serum from birds were sampled in the summers of 2002-2004 and 2009 in the floodplains of the River Dalalven in central Sweden, with 2002 and 2009 representing hypothesized years of SINV outbreaks. A total of 963 birds from 52 species (mainly passerines) were tested for the presence of SINV antibodies using a plaque reduction neutralization test. The highest SINV antibody prevalence was found in Turdidae species, specifically Fieldfare, Redwing and Song thrush in which more than 70% of sampled individuals had antibodies to SINV in 2009. The SINV antibody prevalence significantly varied between years with 2% in 2002, 8% in 2003, 14% in 2004 and 37% in 2009. Antibodies were found equally often in hatchlings and in adults and increased from early to late in the season. Clearly, the SINV antibody prevalence was not elevated in the bird hosts in the predicted outbreak year 2002, thus solid evidence of a cyclic occurrence of SINV in Sweden is still lacking.

Food availability is known to influence parental care and mating systems in passerine birds. Altricial chicks make uni-parental care particularly demanding for passerines and parental investment is known to increase with decreasing food availability. We expect this to limit uni-parental passerines to habitats with the most consistent food availability. In passerine birds, species having uni-parental care are primarily female-only parental care (female-only care) and most passerine birds with female-only care are frugivores. We predict that frugivorous passerines with female-only care should be restricted to the most stable habitats characterized by longer fruiting season length. At a global scale, female-only care frugivores were distributed in areas with significantly longer fruiting seasons than non-female-only care frugivores. Female-only care species richness had a stronger spatial relationship with longer fruiting season than non-female-only care species richness. Verifying the lack of a phylogenetic signal driving this pattern, our findings indicate that the geographic distribution of female-only care, a geographically and phylogenetically widespread parental care system, is restricted by an extrinsic factor: fruiting season length. This reinstates the importance of food availability on the evolution and maintenance of parental care systems in passerine birds.

Recent growth in the wind energy industry has increased concerns about its impacts on wildlife populations. Direct impacts of wind energy include bird and bat collisions with turbines whereas indirect impacts include changes in wildlife habitat and behavior. Although many species may withstand these effects, species that are long-lived with low rates of reproduction, have specialized habitat preferences, or are attracted to turbines may be more prone to declines in population abundance. We developed a prioritization system to identify the avian species most likely to experience population declines from wind facilities based on their current conservation status and their expected risk from turbines. We developed 3 metrics of turbine risk that incorporate data on collision fatalities at wind facilities, population size, life history, species' distributions relative to turbine locations, number of suitable habitat types, and species' conservation status. We calculated at least 1 measure of turbine risk for 428 avian species that breed in the United States. We then simulated 100,000 random sets of cutoff criteria (i.e., the metric values used to assign species to different priority categories) for each turbine risk metric and for conservation status. For each set of criteria, we assigned each species a priority score and calculated the average priority score across all sets of criteria. Our prioritization system highlights both species that could potentially experience population decline caused by wind energy and species at low risk of population decline. For instance, several birds of prey, such as the long-eared owl, ferruginous hawk, Swainson's hawk, and golden eagle, were at relatively high risk of population decline across a wide variety of cutoff values, whereas many passerines were at relatively low risk of decline. This prioritization system is a first step that will help researchers, conservationists, managers, and industry target future study and management activity.

Adult passerines renew their flight feathers at least once every year. This complete moult occurs either in the breeding areas, just after breeding (summer moult), or, in some long-distance migratory species, at the non-breeding areas, after arrival to the southern wintering area at the end of autumn migration (winter moult). The aim of this study was to relate moult strategies with the DMD, the difference in median migration date, through Israel, between juveniles and adults. Our data on autumn migration timing in juveniles and adults was based on ringing data of 49,125 individuals belonging to 23 passerine species that breed in Europe and Western Asia and migrate through Israel. We found that DMD was associated with moult timing. In all species that perform a winter moult, adults preceded juveniles during autumn. Among migrants who perform a summer moult, we found evidence of both migration timing patterns: juveniles preceding adults or adults preceding juveniles. In addition, in summer moulters, we found a significant, positive correlation between mean breeding latitude and DMD. Although previous studies described that moult duration and extent can be affected by migration, we suggest that moult strategies affect both migration timing and migration strategy. These two moult strategies (summer or winter moult) also represent two unique migration strategies. Our findings highlight the evolutionary interplay between moult and migration strategies.

Seaside Sparrows (Ammodramus maritimus) along the Gulf of Mexico are currently recognized as four subspecies, including taxa in Florida (A. m. juncicola and A. m. peninsulae) and southern Texas (Ammodramus m. sennetti), plus a widespread taxon between them (A. m. fisheri). We examined population genetic structure of this "Gulf Coast" clade using microsatellite and mtDNA data. Results of Bayesian analyses (Structure, GeneLand) of microsatellite data from nine locations do not entirely align with current subspecific taxonomy. Ammodramus m. sennetti from southern Texas is significantly differentiated from all other populations, but we found evidence of an admixture zone with A. m. fisheri near Corpus Christi. The two subspecies along the northern Gulf Coast of Florida are significantly differentiated from both A. m. sennetti and A. m. fisheri, but are not distinct from each other. We found a weak signal of isolation by distance within A. m. fisheri, indicating this population is not entirely panmictic throughout its range. Although continued conservation concern is warranted for all populations along the Gulf Coast, A. m. fisheri appears to be more secure than the far smaller populations in south Texas and the northern Florida Gulf Coast. In particular, the most genetically distinct populations, those in Texas south of Corpus Christi, occupy unique habitats within a very small geographic range.