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Recent literature has demonstrated only adult avian palate, albeit there has been only limited focus on the postnatal development of the avian oropharyngeal cavity roof. Hence, the current investigation was designed to obtain the full ultrastructure postnatal description of the oropharyngeal roof during the five developmental age-stages of Coturnix coturnix by employing assessments using gross morphometric analysis and stero and scanning electron microscopy. The elongated triangular oropharyngeal roof has a spoonful rounded beak tip. The palate region is subdivided into the rostral ridged area and the choanal area. The palate has eight longitudinal palatine ridges (seven nonpapillated and one papillated median) and four transverse papillary rows (one slightly oblique row and three transverse papillary crests). The median palatine ridge continuous caudally and is then divided into three ridges: one median and two paramedian ridges (forming the lateral boundaries of the choanal field). The choanal field had three regions (rostral, middle, and caudal). The finger-like projection papillary region has five papillae. The choanal cleft has two unequal parts (rostral and caudal). The rostral nonpapillated short choanal part is subdivided by transverse papillary row into rostral narrow straight and caudal diamond portions. The caudal wide papillated choanal part is further divided by a second transverse crest into rostral long (encircled by interdigitated papillae) and caudal short wider part (not encircled by interdigitated papillae). The infundibular cleft is not bordered by any papillae, while the pharyngeal region has numerous papillae and openings of the salivary glands. Moreover, the morphometric analysis revealed a higher value with increasing age for all dimensions. Our findings indicated a higher degree of functional adaptation between the five developmental age stages of quail. Our observations suggest that adaptations such as these may increase the efficiency of food prehension with increasing age.

The present study represents the first trial to characterize the ultrastructural of five ages of Coturnix coturnix. Lingual nail had membrane that differ in number among five studied ages. Filiform papillary system had four caudally directed papillae types; small (apex, rostral, and median part of body in 1 day, body in 10 and 20 days), long (apex and rostral part of body in 10 days, tip and two lateral area in 20, 30, 40-days, lateral border in 1 and 10 days, two lateral area of body in 40 days), broad (median area of body in 20, 30, 40 days). Scales on the ventral surface of apex, mound. Lingual sulci on the apex and body without reaching tip in 10, 20, 30, 40-days while, in 1 day the body had ridge caudally. Three papillae on posterior part of lateral border of body. W-shape crest had papillae on its median part while, its lateral part had two giant papillae on each side. Dorsal giant papillae terminated caudally with six processes, while ventral papillae terminated caudally with three processes. The unique root appearance, at 1 day had four papillae while in 10-day, it had one papilla however in 20, 30, 40 days, it had T-shaped ridge. Mound had one longitudinal row on each side of cleft and two transverse papillary rows at its caudal border and additional row at 40-days. Our findings exposed unique structural and functional characterizations of lingual and laryngeal entrance that reflected with feeding behavior.

The mechanical performance of limb bones is closely associated with an animal's locomotor capability and is thus important to our understanding of animal behaviour. This study combined a geometrical analysis and three‐point bending tests to address the question of how the mechanical performance of the femurs of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) and pigeon (Columba livia domestica) respond to changing functional demands during ontogeny. Results showed that hatchling quails had stiff bone tissues, and the femoral ultimate loads scaled negatively with body mass, corresponding to high functional demands during early growth. The hatchling pigeon femora had weak material properties but they showed a dramatic increase in Young's modulus during growth. Consequently, although femoral cross‐sectional geometry showed negative allometry, the ultimate loads scaled positively with body mass. Older pigeons had more circular bone cross‐sections than younger pigeons, probably due to load stimulation changes occurred shortly after the onset of locomotion. Negative allometry and isometry of the cross‐sectional geometry of hind limb bones were observed in flying birds and ground‐dwelling birds, respectively. The correspondence between geometrical change and locomotor pattern suggests that ontogenetic changes in cross‐sectional geometry may be an effective indicator of avian locomotor behaviour.

This study was conducted in two separate experiments. Experiment I was conducted to investigate the effects of hemp seed (HS) on meat quality traits, and experiment II was designed to determine egg fatty acid (FA) composition in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). In experiment I and experiment II treatments, groups were as follows: (i) control (not included HS0), (ii) 5% HS inclusion to diets, (iii) 10% HS inclusion to diets and (iv) 20% HS inclusion to diets. In experiment I, a total of 192 7-day-old-quail were fed with HS diets for 5 weeks, and end of the experiment I, a total of 64 quail (16 each) slaughtered and meat samples were analysed for meat colour, pH, cooking and thawing loss and FA composition. In experiment II, a total of 120 8-week-old laying quail were fed with experimental diets for 6 weeks and egg FA composition were determined. Breast meat cooking loss was significantly lower in 20% supplemented group (p < 0.01). Hemp seed inclusion to diets caused a linear and cubic increase in redness (a*) of hip meat (p < 0.01). Palmitoleic and oleic FAs were decreased with HS addition in breast meat (p < 0.05); however, linoleic and linolenic acid contents of meat were linearly increased (p < 0.01). In experiment II, the linoleic and linolenic FA contents of egg samples were linearly increased with increasing the dietary HS ratio (p < 0.01). Hemp seed addition was provided lower palmitoleic and oleic FAs in quail eggs (p < 0.05). In conclusion, HS supplementation to quail diets may increase quail meat redness and meat and egg yolk omega-3 FA content and decrease cooking loss of quail meats.

When performing screening-level and baseline risk assessments, assessors usually compare estimated exposures of wildlife receptor species with toxicity reference values (TRVs). We modeled the exposure of American robins (Turdus migratorius) to 10 elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb, Se, Zn, and V) in spring and early summer, a time when earthworms are the preferred prey. We calculated soil benchmarks associated with possible toxic effects to these robins from 6 sets of published TRVs. Several of the resulting soil screening-level benchmarks were inconsistent with each other and less than soil background concentrations. Accordingly, we examined the derivations of the TRVs as a possible source of error. In the case of V, a particularly toxic chemical compound (ammonium vanadate) containing V, not normally present in soil, had been used to estimate a TRV. In the cases of Zn and Cu, use of uncertainty values of 10 in estimating TRVs led to implausibly low soil screening values. In the case of Pb, a TRV was calculated from studies demonstrating reductions in egg production in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) exposed to Pb concentrations well below than those causing toxic effects in other species of birds. The results on quail, which were replicated in additional trials, are probably not applicable to other, unrelated species, although we acknowledge that only a small fraction of all species of birds has been tested. These examples underscore the importance of understanding the derivation and relevance of TRVs before selecting them for use in screening or in ecological risk assessment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:352-359. © 2016 SETAC.

In Europe, farm-reared quail used for restocking purposes are often hybrids between the Common Quail Coturnix coturnix and the Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica. These hybrids interbreed with wild Common Quail populations and suffer higher rates of nest predation, which would suggest that the two quail types have different nest-site selection patterns. We monitored 103 radiotagged nesting females (77 wild Common Quail over 18 breeding seasons and 26 hybrid quail over six breeding seasons) and analysed their nest placement behaviour. Our results did not provide any evidence that the quail types showed different nest-site selection trends, as they all preferred to nest near cereal field margins. The higher nest predation rate experienced by hybrids might therefore be explained by less effective anti-predator behaviour among hybrid females during incubation. As no edge effect on nest predation was observed, the preference for nesting close to cereal margins could be due to the greater food resources of field margins. Moreover, Common Quail nest predation decreased with a rise in barley straw production, supporting evidence that nest cover plays an important role in the prevention of nest predation in this species. No such relationship was found for hybrid quail, but this result is not conclusive, as the data on barley straw production for hybrid quail covered a much smaller range of interannual variability. Barley straw production in Catalonia decreased significantly between 1992 and 2012, possibly as a result of a change in the barley varieties used. This practice could entail a conservation threat for ground-nesting bird species.

Over the last four decades, the majority of European farmland birds have shown marked population declines attributed to the intensification of agriculture. The Common Quail is a widespread farmland breeder across most of Europe. Its populations have shown marked decline, particularly pronounced at the end of the previous century. Ongoing agriculture intensification may be the factor responsible for the observed declines; however, links between species occurrence and farming intensification have not been addressed so far. We analyzed factors affecting the occurrence of the Quail in Poland using data from 722 1 × 1-km study plots and a set of 22 environmental variables, including proxies for agriculture intensification. Predictors were aggregated using PCAs and related to species presence/absence data using GAMs. The best-supported model of the species’ occurrence included eight variables and was clearly better (AIC weight = 0.54) than other models. Quails preferred open fields, showing high photosynthetic activity in March or June, with rather low precipitation and often at relatively high altitudes (up to 900 m a.s.l.). Importantly, quails were more frequent on plots located in regions with rather high inorganic fertilizer input, and showed no avoidance of areas with a high level of agriculture mechanization. We postulate that singing male quails are attracted to areas with medium or high intensity of agriculture but it may represent a maladaptive habitat choice enhanced by changing agriculture practices and peculiarities of the quail’s breeding strategy. Given the results, the quail cannot be classified as a good indicator of extensive traditional agriculture.

Species-typical developmental outcomes result from organismic and environmental constraints and experiences shared by members of a species. We examined the effects of enhanced prenatal sensory experience on hatching behaviors by exposing domestic chicks (n = 95) and Japanese quail (n = 125) to one of four prenatal conditions: enhanced visual stimulation, enhanced auditory stimulation, enhanced auditory and visual stimulation, or no enhanced sensory experience (control condition). In general, across species, control embryos had slower hatching behaviors than all other embryos. Embryos in the auditory condition had faster hatching behaviors than embryos in the visual and control conditions. Auditory–visual condition embryos showed similarities to embryos exposed to either auditory or visual stimulation. These results suggest that prenatal sensory experience can influence hatching behavior of precocial birds, with the type of stimulation being a critical variable. These results also provide further evidence that species-typical outcomes are the result of species-typical prenatal experiences. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 935–942, 2014.

The pharmacokinetics of diniconazole enantiomers in quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were investigated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Quails were exposed to racemic diniconazole in capsule by oral at dose of 10 mg/kg (body weight). The maximal concentrations observed in blood, heart, liver, and kidney were 3.18, 11.35, 12.32, 15.03 mu g/g for S-diniconazole, and 1.13, 3.70, 6.00, 2.60 mu g/g for R-diniconazole. The elimination of enantiomers all met the one-compartment model in blood, heart, liver, and kidney well. The elimination half-lives (T-1/2) of S-diniconazole were 2.87, 3.85, 5.29, and 4.42 h in blood, heart, liver, and kidney, respectively; the T-1/2 of R-diniconazole were 2.44, 3.42, 146.23, and 74.02 h in blood, heart, liver, and kidney, respectively. The enantiomer fractions (EFs) steadily increased from 0.50 to 0.92 in blood samples and 0.91 in heart samples. Meanwhile, the values increased to 0.70 and 0.80 in liver and kidney initially, and then decreased to 0.33 and 0.44 at the end of the experiment. Metabolism was examined as well and it was found that diniconazole was metabolized to 1, 2, 4-triazole, (E)-3-(1H-1, 2, 4-triazol-1-yl) acrylaldehyde, (E, S)-(R, S)-4-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-2, 2-dimethyl-5-(1H-1, 2, 4-triazol-1-yl) pent-4-ene-1, 3-diol, (E)-4-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-3-hydroxy-2, 2-dimethyl-5-(1H-1, 2, 4-triazol-1-yl) pent-4-enoic acid, and 1, 3-dichlorobenzen in all samples of quail. Chirality 25:910-916, 2013. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Species-typical prenatal visual stimulation in avian species is a necessary component in the development of population level lateralized behaviors. This relationship suggests that species-typical developmental outcomes result from organismic and environmental constraints and experiences shared by members of a species. We examined the effects of prenatal visual experience on the development of turning bias and footedness in Japanese quail chicks, a species which does not demonstrate a naturally occurring level of population laterality and only weak individual laterality. Chicks (n=167) were exposed to one of four prenatal conditions: both eye systems exposed to enhanced visual experience, right eye system exposed/left eye system occluded, left eye system exposed/right eye system occluded, or no enhanced visual experience. When subjects were exposed to prenatal visual stimulation, individual and population level laterality was induced. These results suggest that unilateral prenatal visual experience to the right eye or left eye system is sufficient to induce and influence the direction of individual and population laterality in a species that does not normal demonstrate such biases. The results also provide further evidence that prenatal sensory experiences can elicit the development of postnatal lateralization.

As birds have a diversity of locomotor behaviors, their skeleton is subjected to a variety of mechanical constraints (gravitational, aerodynamic and sometimes hydrodynamic forces). Yet, only minor modifications in post-cranial skeleton shape are observed across the diversity of avian species in comparison with other vertebrates. The goal of this study was to explore potential morphological adjustments that allow locomotion in different habitats in Anatidae. Specifically, we compared a strictly terrestrial bird, the common quail Coturnix coturnix, and a semi-aquatic bird, the ringed teal Callonetta leucophrys, to explore whether their anatomy reflects the constraints of locomotion in different habitats (water vs. land). We compared the tibiotarsus and the tarsometatarsus shape between the two species using a geometric morphometric approach. Our data illustrate distinct differences between species with a more medially oriented intertarsal joint in the ringed teal than in the common quail, which may be linked to the kinematics of walking and paddling. This study lays the foundations to understand the functional requirements for moving in both terrestrial and aquatic environments in Anatidae, and suggests morphological characteristics of the bird hindlimb skeleton that may help to predict the motions it is capable of.

Research performed on transgenic animals has led to numerous advances in biological research. However, using traditional retroviral methods to generate transgenic avian research models has proved problematic. As a result, experiments aimed at genetic manipulations on birds have remained difficult for this popular research tool. Recently, lentiviral methods have allowed the production of transgenic birds, including a transgenic Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) line showing neuronal specificity and stable expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) across generations (termed here GFP quail). To test whether the GFP quail may serve as a viable alternative to the popular chicken model system, with the additional benefit of genetic manipulation, we compared the development, organization, structure, and function of a specific neuronal circuit in chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) with that of the GFP quail. This study focuses on a well-defined avian brain region, the principal nuclei of the sound localization circuit in the auditory brainstem, nucleus magnocellularis (NM), and nucleus laminaris (NL). Our results demonstrate that structural and functional properties of NM and NL neurons in the GFP quail, as well as their dynamic properties in response to changes in the environment, are nearly identical to those in chickens. These similarities demonstrate that the GFP quail, as well as other transgenic quail lines, can serve as an attractive avian model system, with the advantage of being able to build on the wealth of information already available from the chicken.

Species’ distribution models are widely used in landscape ecology but usually lack explicit information about species’ responses to ecosystem dynamics, leading to uncertainty when applied to the prediction of seasonal change in distributions. In this study, we aimed to build a species’ distribution model for the Common Quail Coturnix coturnix ,a farmland species that shows changes in its distribution in response to seasonal changes in habitat suitability. During the course of three breeding seasons we collected temporal replicates of presence–absence data in 13 sampling locations in four countries (Morocco, Portugal, Spain and France). We used generalized linear mixed models to relate the species’ presence or absence to environmental variables and to the normalized difference vegetation index at each sampling location through the seasons, the latter variable being an indicator of within- and between-season habitat changes. The preferred model showed that occurrence was highly dependent on habitat changes associated with crop seasonality, as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index. Common Quail selected areas with dense vegetation and warm climate and tracked spatial changes in these two parameters. The model allows accurate mapping of within- and betweenseason distribution changes. Such changes are related to habitat variations caused mainly by drought and agricultural practices. Our results demonstrate that seasonal changes in farmland ecosystems can be incorporated into a simple distribution model, and our approach could be applied to other species to predict the effects of agricultural changes on the distribution of birds inhabiting farmland landscapes.

The purpose of this study was to produce quail-duck chimeras by transferring stage X blastoderm cells and to detect the distribution of donor cells in heterogeneous embryos using PCR. Four experimental groups were made by transferring different amounts of quail blastoderm cells into duck recipients. In early embryonic stages, donor cells labeled with PKH26 fluorescent dye were observed in the head, neural tube and gonads by fluorescent microscopy. A total of 194 duck recipient embryos were injected and 93 survived to hatch. The average hatching rate was 48% (93/194); the hatching rate showed a significant difference among all the groups (P < 0.05). Sixteen somatic chimeras were obtained, 10 of which had black feathers derived from the donor quail. The PCR results showed that donor cells were distributed in various tissues and organs of the phenotypic chimeras. This is the first report on producing Japanese quail-Peking duck chimeras by transferring quail blastoderm cells into the subgerminal cavity of the duck. This technique will provide a basis for the investigation of fertilization barriers in interspecies germline chimeras and will aid conservation of endangered wild birds.

Summary The effect of karaya saponin supplementation on the serum and egg yolk cholesterol and fatty acid composition in egg yolk were investigated in Japanese quails. A total of 80 Japanese quails aged 5 weeks were equally divided into four groups of 20. Four levels (0, 25, 50 and 75 mg/kg feed) of karaya saponin were included in the basal diet and experiment was lasted for 6 weeks. The cholesterol fractions in the egg yolk and serum were measured by enzymatic assay, and the fatty acid composition in egg yolk was determined by gas chromatography. The results revealed that the supplementation of 75 mg/kg karaya saponin significantly reduced (p

Summary Japanese quail were successfully infected with a strain of streptomycin-resistant Salmonella gallinarum, either orally or through egg-dipping. Depression, drooping of wings, huddling together, transient diarrhoea, lateral deviation of head and neck, hyperexcitability, paresis, and moving backward were the clinical signs observed, together with lesions of subcutaneous haemorrhages, congestion, and haemorrhages in parenchymatous organs. Misshapen, discoloured pedunculated cystic egg follicles were recorded in hens surviving the infection. The organism was shed with the faeces from 80% and 40% of the orally infected quail chicks examined two and four hours, respectively, after infection but no organisms could be detected in 1,025 faecal swabs collected later. Studying the cycle of infection of Salmonella gallinarum in Japanese quail, the agent was isolated at a rate of 2.3% and 0.8% from the yolk sacs of eggs of orally infected and egg-infected adult birds, respectively. This result confirms that Salmonella gallinarum infection is transmitted vertically in Japanese quail in a similar way to that in chickens. Contrary to the situation in chickens, serodiagnosis with the commonly used stained antigen, rapid whole blood agglutination and microagglutination tests was unable to detect Salmonella gallinarum carriers in Coturnix coturnix Japonica. Using Coturnix quail as laboratory animals, especially under SPF-conditions, and also for breeding purposes, it should be kept in mind that negative serodiagnosis of Salmonella gallinarum infection with the tests mentioned is insufficient proof that the flock is free of this agent. Zusammenfassung Einige epidemiologische Aspekte im Hinblick auf die S. gallinarum-Infektion der japanischen Wachtel Japanische Wachteln wurden entweder oral oder als Bruteier im Tauchverfahren mit einem Stamm Streptomycin-resistenter Salmonella gallinarum infiziert. Klinische Anzeichen der Infektion waren Depression, vorubergehende Diarrhoe, hangende Flugel, Torticollis, Ubererregbarkeit, Paresen und Ruckwartsbewegung. Des weiteren waren subkutane Hamorrhagien sowie Blutfulle und Hamorrhagien in den inneren Organen nachweisbar. In Wachteln, die die Infektion uberlebten, wurden misgestaltete, verfarbte und gestielte Eifollikel beobachtet. Zwei bzw. vier Stunden p. i. wurde der Salmonella gallinarum-Stamm im Kot von 80% bzw. 40% der oral infizierten Wachteln nachgewiesen. Zu einem spateren Zeitpunkt gelang der Nachweis des Erregers in Faeces nicht mehr. In 2,3% bzw. 0,8% der untersuchten Falle wurde das Bakterium aus den Dottersacken von Eiern oral bzw. Ei-infizierter Wachteln isoliert. Diese Ergebnisse bestatigen, das Salmonella gallinarum — wie bei Huhnern — bei Wachteln vertikal uber das Ei ubertragen wird. Im Gegensatz zu den Verhaltnissen beim Huhn war es bei den infizierten Wachteln nicht moglich, Salmonella gallinarum-Trager mit den ublichen serologischen Testverfahren wie Schnellblutagglutination und Mikroagglutinationstest zu ermitteln. Bei Verwendung von japanischen Wachteln fur die Zucht oder fur Versuchszwecke sollte beachtet werden, das ein negatives Ergebnis mit diesen Testmethoden keine Aussagefahigkeit uber die Freiheit des Bestandes von dieser Infektion hat. Dies gilt besonders fur SPF-Haltungen. Resume Quelques aspects epidemiologiques de l'infection a S. gallinarum des cailles japonaises Des cailles japonaises ont ete infectees avec une souche de Salmonella gallinarum resistante a la streptomycine par voie orale ou par le procede de trempage des oeufs en incubation. Les signes cliniques de l'infection furent une depression, une diarrhee provisoire, un plumage tombant, un torticolis, une surescitation, une paresie et un mouvement de recul. Des hemorragies souscutanees, des congestions sanguines et des hemorragies dans les organes internes ont en outre ete observees. Un follicule ovarien difforme, colore et pedoncule fut observe chez des cailles ayant survecu a l'infection. La souche de Salmonella gallinarum a ete mise en evidence dans les matieres fecales des cailles infectees oralement deux heures apres l'infection et 40% quatre heures apres. Le germe n'a plus ete isole a partir des feces plus tard. La bacterie a ete isolee dans 2,3% et respectivement 0,8% des cas examines a partir des sacs vitellins des oeufs des cailles infectees oralement et respectivement par les oeufs. Ces resultats confirment que Salmonella gallinarum se transmet chez les cailles comme chez les poules verticalement par l'oeuf. A l'encontre de chez la poule, il n'a pas ete possible de detecter chez les cailles infectees les porteurs de S. gallinarum au moyen des procedes serologiques habituels tels que l'agglutination rapide et le test de microagglutination. Lors de l'utilisation de cailles japonaises pour l'elevage ou dans le but d'une recherche, il faut observer qu'un resultat negatif obtenu avec ces methodes de test n'a aucune valeur concernant l'absence de cette infection dans l'exploitation. Ceci vaut en particulier pour les elevages SPF. Resumen Algunos aspectos epidemiologicos con respecto a la infeccion par S. gallinarum en codornices japonesas Se infectaron codornices japonesas bien por via oral o bien como huevos embrionados con el procedimiento de sumersion con una estirpe de Salmonella gallinarum resistente a la estreptomicina. Los signos clinicos de la infeccion eran depresion, diarrea pasajera, alas caidas, torticolis, hiperexcitabilidad, paresias y marcha hacia atras. Ademas se pudieron poner en evidencia hemorragias subcutaneas, asi como pletora y hemorragias en los organos internos. En las codornices que sobrevivieron la infeccion, se observaron foliculos ovicos deformados, cambiados de color y pediculados. Dos resp. cuatro horas p. i. se puso en evidencia la estirpe Salmonella gallinarum en el estiercol del 80% resp. del 40% de las codornices infectadas por el pico. En un espacio de tiempo posterior ya no se logro identificar el germen en el estiercol. En el 2.3% resp. 0.8% de los casos examinados se aislo la bacteria de los sacos vitelinos de las codornices infectadas por via oral resp. a traves del huevo. Estos resultados confirman que la Salmonella gallinarum — a igual que en las gallinas — se transmite en las codornices de forma vertical a traves del huevo. En contraste con las circunstancias en la gallina, en las codornices infectadas no resulto posible el identificar los portadores de Salmonella gallinarum con los procedimientos serologicos usuales, tales como aglutinacion rapida con suero sanguineo o la prueba de microaglutinacion. Al emplear las codornices japonesas para la cria o para fines de ensayo, se deberia tener en cuenta que el resultado negativo con estos metodos de prueba no posee ninguna facultad aseverativa sobre la libertad del efectivo de esta infeccion. Esto se refiere en especial a los regimenes de vida SPF.

Zusammenfassung Ubertragungsversuche mit Syngamus trachea auf zwolf Hausenten, Anas platyrhynchos domestica, durch orale Verabreichung reifer Syngamuseier verliefen negativ, ebenso auf sieben Haustauben, Columba livia domestica, drei Zwergblasganse, Anser erythropus, zwei Singschwane, Cygnus cygnus, und funf Teichhuhner, Gallinula chloropus. Die Hausgans, Anser anser domesticus, erwies sicht als empfanglich, ebenso die japanische Zwergwachtel, Coturnix coturnix japonica. In sechs Silbermowen, Larus argentatus, wurde Syngamus trachea geschlechtsreif, die Patenz betrug jedoch nur 2–9 Tage. In je einem von vier infizierten Sabelschnablern, Recurvirostra avosetta, acht Kiebitzen, Vanellus vanellus, und sieben Austernfischern, Haematopus ostralegus, wurde das 4. oder unreife 5. Stadium erreicht. Zur Geschlechtsreife entwickelte sich Syngamus trachea hier nicht. Die Untersuchungen wurden durch eine Beihilfe der Gesellschaft der Freunde der Tierarztlichen Hochschule ermoglicht. Bei der Durchfuhrung der Versuche wurden wir durch die Herren Fischer und Reinsch, Laboranten des Instituts, unterstutzt. Hierfur sagen wir unseren besten Dank. Summary The host specificity of Syngamus trachea (Strongyloidea, Nematoda) Attempts to transmit Syngamus trachea to nine domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domestica) by oral administration of mature Syngamus eggs gave negative results, and the same occurred with seven domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica), three lesser white-fronted geese (Anser erythropus), two whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) and five moorhens (Gallinula chloropus). The domestic goose (Anser anser domesticus) proved to be susceptible, as also was the Japanese dwarf quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). In six herring gulls (Larus argentatus) the Syngamus trachea became sexually mature but the patent period lasted only two to nine days. In one out of four infected avocets (Recurvirostra avosetta), eight lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) and seven oyster catchers (Haematopus ostralegus) the parasite reached the fourth or fifth immature stages. In none of these species did Syngamus trachea reach sexual maturity. Resume Sur la specificite de l'hote de Syngamus trachea (strongyloide, nematode) Des essais de transmission de Syngamus trachea sur neuf canards colvert domestiques (Anas platyrhynchos domestica), par administration orale d'oeufs de Syngamus a maturite, s'averent negatifs. Il en est de měme chez sept pigeons biset domestiques (Columba livia domestica), trois oies naines (Anser erythropus), deux cygnes sauvages «chanteurs» (Cygnus cygnus) et cinq poules d'eau (Gallinula chloropus). L'oie cendred domestique (Anser anser domesticus), de měme que la caille naine japonaise (Coturnix coturnix japonica), se sont revelees sensibles. Chez six goelands argentes (Larus argentatus), Syngamus trachea est parvenu a maturite sexuelle, avec une patence de 2–9 jours seulement. Sur quatre avocettes (Recurvirostra avosetta), huit vanneux huppes (Vanellus vanellus) et sept huitriers pies (Haematopus ostralegus) infectes, on trouve une fois par espece d'oiseau le 4eme ou le 5eme stade immature. Syngamus trachea n'a pas atteint dans ces cas la maturite sexuelle. Resumen Sobre la especificidad de anfitrion de Syngamus trachea (Estrongiloideos, Nematodos) Los ensayos de transmision con Syngamus trachea a nueve patos domesticos, Anas platyrhynchos domestica, mediante la administracion oral de huevos Syngamus maduros, resultaron negativos, igual que a siete palomas domesticas, Columba livia domestica, tres ansares caretos enanos, Anser erythropus, dos cisnes cantores, Cygnus cygnus, y cinco pollas de agua, Gallinula chloropus. El ganso domestico, Anser anser domesticus, resulto ser receptible, igual que la codorniz japonesa enana, Coturnix coturnix japonica. En seis gaviotas comunes, Larus argentatus, maduro Syngamus trachea sexualmente, pero la patencia solo duraba 2-9 dias. En cada vez una de cuatro avocetas infestadas, Recurvirostra avosetta, ocho ave frias, Vanellus vanellus, y siete ostreros, Haematopus ostralegus, se alcanzo el 4° estadio o el 5° inmaturo. Aqui no se desarrollo Syngamus trachea hasta adquirir la madurez sexual.

We investigated the occurrence of mate switching in the common quail, a non-monogamous species with a temporal pair bond but without either male parental care or territoriality. The study was carried out throughout the breeding seasons of 1993-95 in Mas Esplugues (Catalonia , Spain) by monitoring 28 radio-tagged couples and 17 radio-tagged unpaired males. Agonistic interactions between males inside funnel traps containing a female were also recorded. Mate switching within the laying period occurred in 72% of the females, and new partners always had a higher body condition index than old parmers. Agonistic interactions inside the funnel traps also showed that successful males had a better body condition index than losers. These results, along with the observed mate-guarding behaviour of females by their partners throughout the laying period, a highly male-biased sex ratio (five males per female), the lack of territoriality of males and the expected difficulties which unmated males experience in finding pairs, suggest that mate switching is not induced by paired males. Moreover, the constant inflow of new males observed throughout the fertile period of the female and the low costs stemming from mate change strongly support the idea that it is paired females who induce mate switching, in order to improve their fitness by mating with the best quality male available at every moment of their fertile period.

Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) have finely-tuned kin-recognition abilities that may serve a role in mate choice. To investigate whether these abilities are expressed in other life stages, we examined patterns of association among quail chicks in the laboratory four days after hatching. Hatchlings were reared either in mixed-family groups, consisting of siblings and nonsiblings, or in pure-family groups, consisting just of siblings. Chicks were highly social in testing sessions, as reflected in their clumped spatial distributions, and interacted more with their siblings than with nonsiblings. Siblings in each of four mixed-family groups preferentially associated with one another over nonsiblings. No discrimination was evident among differently marked siblings in four purefamily groups. Thus, at an early age, quail discriminate between siblings and nonsiblings despite social experience of both. Recognition abilities that develop prior to or soon after hatching may facilitate cooperation among chicks, may enable siblings to track each others' traits as they mature, or both.

International audience; Second generation European quail, descended from parents captured in their natural habitat, were reared in an aviary. The choice of laying site was observed using simplified environments containing dominant visual factors found in the natural habitat. Females were either single or paired. Visual characteristics were taken into account in the selection of a laying site. Pairing does not modify this behaviour and it was found that a confined space was preferable to a large space. The chosen laying site is not less well illuminated than other areas available. A visually achromatic structure is very attractive, vertical stripes being preferable to horizontal ones. Green is much more attractive than the colour ochre. Vertical presentation of these colours does not modify site choice. Green does not modify the relative attractiveness of visual forms available, vertical green stripes being preferable to horizontal ones. No preference is demonstrated when the most attractive components, vertical and green, are in competition. These results are in concordance with observations made concerning their natural habitat.

The main question of our investigation is: Do there exist age-specific learning abilities in animals? 120 QUAILS (Coturnix coturnix japonica) of 12 different age groups (between one day and 20 weeks) were tested in a combination apparatus 0y using two training methods. 60 quails were trained with decreasing (1), 60 other quails with increasing learning assistance (2). In each case the learning period lasted 5 days after which the animals were tested in a two-way choice apparatus and in a simple maze. Retention was tested 3 weeks later. - The 2 methods led to different results. In general the younger animals learnt better than the other ones when trained by method 1. No differences in learning performance between the 12 age groups were obtained by method 2.

Zusammenfassung 1. Die Weberfinken Munia malacca, Amandava amandava, Ploceus abyssinicus, Pl. melanocephalus, die Finken Carduelis carduelis und Pyrrhula pyrrhula, die Braunelle Prunella modularis, die Drossel Turdus viscivorus, der Buntspecht Dryobates major, der Papagei Calopsittacus novae-hollandiae und die Wachtel Coturnix coturnix (insgesamt 42 Vogel) wurden im Funktionskreis des Nahrungserwerbs in simultanen Vierfachwahlversuchen auf eine spontane Bevorzugung arteigener Farben getestet. Dabei standen den Tieren in mehreren Versuchsserien, in denen moglichst alle arteigenen Farben berucksichtigt wurden, eine korper- oder arteigene neben drei korperfremden Farben zur Wahl. 2. Bei den in beiden Geschlechtern stets gleich gefarbten Vogelarten (Munia, Carduelis) ergab sich trotz individueller Schwankungen im Durchschnitt fur alle kennzeichnenden arteigenen Farben eine mehr oder weniger deutliche Bevorzugung. Fur den Stieglitz hatten neben den korpereigenen Farben auch Rosa und Orange einen erhohten Reizwert. Bei Darbietung mehrerer korpereigener Farben nebeneinander besas fur Munia Braun den hochsten Reizwert. Fur den Stieglitz waren Gelb, Rot und Schwarz etwa gleichwertig, Weis wurde starker vernachlassigt. 3. Bei den stets sexualdimorphen Arten lies sich fur Dompfaff und Buntspecht eine Bevorzugung ihrer Gefiederfarben vor korperfremden nachweisen. Bei Darbietung mehrerer korpereigener Farben nebeneinander flog der Dompfaff alle vier Farben (Rot, Schwarz, Weis und Grau) etwa gleich haufig an. Beim Buntspecht uberwogen die Rotwahlen. Bei den Nymphensittichen lies sich keine Vorliebe fur arteigene Farben feststellen. 4. Die zeitweise sexualdimorphen Vogelarten reagierten in beiden Geschlechtern auf arteigene Farben verschieden. Dabei wurden die Prachtfarben der ♂♂ von diesen starker beachtet als von den ♀♀. Amandava-♂♂ bevorzugten von den korpereigenen Farben nur Rot. Fur die ♀♀ kam dem Grun als artfremde Farbe im Durchschnitt ein hoherer Reizwert zu als dem Rot. Bei Ploceus abyssinicus wahlten im Durchschnitt beide Geschlechter vorzugsweise das die ♂♂ kennzeichnende Gelb und Schwarz. Eine Bevorzugung von Rotbraun konnte nur fur die ♂♂ nachgewiesen werden. 5. Die unscheinbar gefarbte Heckenbraunelle, Misteldrossel und Wachtel bevorzugten Braun vor leuchtenden Farben. Es ist anzunehmen, das es sich hier ebenfalls um eine angeborene Reaktion auf die im Gefieder vorherrschende Farbe handelt. 6. Fur einige Vogelarten (Stieglitz, Dompfaff, Ploceus) konnte eine verstarkte Reaktion auf Farbkombinationen nachgewiesen werden, wenn diese bestimmte arteigene Farben betraf. Moglicherweise handelt es sich hier um eine Reizsummation. 7. Es wurden farbige Olkugeln in der Retina einiger untersuchter Vogelarten ausgezahlt, und es wurde deren Bedeutung diskutiert. Summary 1. Eleven species of birds of different families (altogether 42 specimens) were tested whether or not they prefer colours characterizing their own plumage. In an octagonal cage the birds had to choose between 8 coloured containers with a little bit of food as reward. As always 2 containers had the same colour the animals had to choose between 4 colours, one of which normally corresponded with a colour of their own plumage (characteristic colour of male or of both sexes). 2. Those species in which both sexes were alike (Munia, Carduelis) preferred more or less all characteristical own colours to other colours. Besides yellow, red, black, and white also rosy and orange were chosen by Carduelis to a high degree. When several own colours were offered at the same time Munia preferred brown, whereas Carduelis made no difference between yellow, red, and black, but neglected white. 3. Among 3 species in which both sexes were always different, Pyrrhula and Dryobates also preferred the colours characteristic for males and females. When several own colours were offered simultaneously, Pyrrhula made no difference between them, Dryobates, however, preferred red to black and white. Calopsittacus did not show a preference of one of its specific colours. 4. In those species in which the male showed characteristical colours only during breeding time the reactions of both sexes were different. The red males of Amandava preferred red, the females, however, were more attracted by green than by red. Both sexes of Ploceus abyssinicus mostly chose yellow and black, characterizing the breeding plumage of the male. The males only also preferred reddish brown to other colours. 5. Brownish and greyish coloured birds like Prunella modularis, Turdus viscivorus, and Coturnix coturnix preferred brown to brighter colours. 6. In some species (Carduelis, Pyrrhula, Ploceus) the combination of two of their own colours on the same container increased the positive reaction. We have possibly to do with a summation of stimuli. 7. In some species the number of coloured oil droplets in the cones of the retina were counted. The possible effect of these droplets on colour vision was discussed.

BACKGROUND: Methionine (Met) being the first limiting amino acid in maize/soybean-based quail diets, its supplementation provides scope for improvement of protein quality and reduction of dietary protein concentration. The question remains to what extent it can be incorporated in the diet of genetically improved quails. Therefore the effect of dietary Met level was assessed on growth performance and immune response in growing Japanese quails (n = 400) divided equally into 20 groups. Five dietary treatments (∼230 g kg−1 crude protein and 12.14 MJ kg−1 metabolisable energy) were formulated with 3.5, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 6.0 g kg−1 Met respectively, and each was offered to four groups of birds from 0 to 35 days of age. RESULTS: Live weight at day 35 increased (P < 0.0001) up to 5.0 g kg−1 dietary Met level but did not improve further at higher Met levels (5.5 and 6.0 g kg−1). Improved (P < 0.039) feed conversion ratio was achieved at 5.5 g kg−1 Met level, which was statistically similar to that at 5.0 g kg−1 Met level during 0–14 days of age. Cellular (phytohaemagglutinin from Phaseolus vulgaris) immune response increased (P < 0.0001) with increasing dietary Met concentration, whereas humoral (sheep red blood cells) immune response did not differ. CONCLUSION: The optimal requirement of Met was 5.0 g kg−1 for growth and 5.5 g kg−1 for maximum cellular immune response. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

Aim Information on the movements of bird populations in extensive landscapes is needed to assess environmental effects and conservation strategies over appropriate temporal and spatial scales. The common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is a game bird that breeds mainly in dense cereal crops. These crops cover huge areas of the Iberian Peninsula. The aim of this work is to relate cereal mowing, which causes rapid and massive habitat loss for the common quail, to population movements of the species during its breeding season. Location Spain, southern Europe. Methods We used ring recoveries to analyse, using circular statistics, the orientation of movements by male common quails in the northern half of Spain. Forward stepwise multiple regressions were applied to correlate (1) the Julian day of cereal harvesting at 770 locations with the respective latitude, longitude and elevation, and (2) the number of hunted birds with hunting pressure, breeding densities and mean mowing date by province. Finally, data concerning the number of quails hunted at the end of the breeding season were compared by province and year using two-way ANOVA. Results Our results show that during the breeding season in the northern half of Spain, male quails orient their movements towards higher areas, and mainly to the northern Castilian Plateau. These are the areas of Spain where cereals are harvested latest. Moreover, records show that the number of quails hunted is significantly higher in these areas than in other areas of the country, independently of hunting pressure and breeding densities, and it is extremely high in the northern Castilian Plateau. Main conclusions Cereal mowing combined with some Spanish geographical characteristics acts as a funnel, forcing quail populations to concentrate in certain areas of Spain at the end of the breeding season. This implies that the number of quails hunted in these areas may be high, and that they therefore constitute priority conservation areas.

Summary. Phosvitin polymorphism in egg yolk of the Japanese quail was found by horizontal polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis. Six phenotypes of yolk phosvitin designated A, B, C, AB, AC, and BC were observed in a population of 281 birds. Analysis of family data revealed that the phenotypic variation of quail yolk phosvitins was controlled by an autosomal Pv locus with three codominant alleles, Pva, Pvb and Pvc. The gene frequencies of Pva, Pvb and Pvc were 0.064, 0.824 and 0.112, respectively.

Tissues of Japanese quails were subjected to electron microscopical study. The birds had received 0-8 ppm methylmercury added to their diets for 6 weeks. The ultrastructural changes in the littoral cells of the liver were swollen mitochondria, with dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum, loss of ribosomes from the rough endoplasmic reticulum and an increase in the number of vesicles in the cytoplasm. The nuclear membrane in some littoral cells became dilated, and the nuclear chromatin was condensed. The physiological effect of the destruction of the littoral cells is discussed.

The distribution of 14C–labelled chloramphenicol after oral and intravenous administration to egg laying Japanese quail was studied by whole–body autoradiography. In the liver, kidneys, gizzard, intestinal contents (bile) and oviduct, the 14C–concentration was higher than that of the blood short time after injection and remained higher than the blood up to 4 days. From 4 hrs, the concentration of 14C in the egg yolks was higher than that of the blood and from 24 hrs the radioactivity in the albumen of the eggs in the oviduct was also higher than that of the blood. The peak concentration in the egg yolk was found in the second egg laid 2–4 days after administration of 14C–chloramphenicol. In the albumen the maximum concentration was found in the first laid egg 24–48 hrs after administration. In the egg yolks, about 30% of the radioactivity represented unchanged chloramphenicol up to 5 days after administration. It was also shown that about 5% of the injected 14C–chloramphenicol was exhaled as 14CO2 during the first 12 hrs and about 37% of the dose was excreted in the combined faeces and urine during the same period of time

Summary A histological and immunochemical study of adenohypophysis development in two bird species: chicken (Gallus gallus) and Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) was carried out, focussing firstly morphologically on the origin of its different lobes, then secondly on the differentiation of hormone-producing cells from the adenohypophysial anlage and their involvement in the differentiation of three calcium-binding proteins. The results of the morphological development study show how the origin of the adenohypophysis in chicken is totally ectodermic, whilst in Japanese quail the endoderm, in the form of Sessel’s pouch, participates in forming the rostral zone of the anterior lobe. After studying the organogenesis and spatio/temporal differentiation of the hormone-producing cells proceeding from the adenohypophysial anlage, a regionalization model is proposed for the origin of the different lobes and cell types as well as time sequence, fundamentally the origin of cell regionalization in the adult adenohypophysis. In this process, at least in the two bird species studied, the results obtained from expressing the calcium-binding proteins, calbindin D 28K, calretinin and parvalbumin show a characteristic distribution pattern for each, suggesting distinct functions.

Landscape fragmentation has been among the most intensely studied topics in conservation biology for decades (Gates & Gysel 1978; Murcia 1995). The influence of habitat edge has often been investigated as an important feature in fragmented areas, especially with respect to bird nesting success, as evidenced by three recent reviews. Paton (1994) concluded that "current evidence, although equivocal, suggests that predation and parasitism rates are often significantly greater within 50 m of an edge." Andren (1995) examined edge (or patch size) effects in a review of 40 papers and concluded that "edge-related increase in predation seems to be most commonly found inside forests surrounded by farmland and was rarely found in forest mosaics." Major and Kendal (1996) showed that a preponderance of studies "demonstrated a positive correlation between predation rate and the degree of habitat fragmentation," but found "more variable results" regarding edge effects. We believe that none of these papers adequately addressed the issue of whether or not predation rates and edge effects differ between deforested versus forested landscapes. Thus, we decided to evaluate relationships between degree of forest cover in a landscape and (1) avian nest success rates and (2) the existence of elevated predation rates near habitat edges. We combined data from 13 previous studies in 33 U.S. landscapes to explore patterns of nest predation and landscape composition.

A selection of lectins were used to study changes in the distribution of sugar residues in primordial germ cells (PGCs) during gonadal colonization and differentiation. Although the cytochemical characteristics of PGCs have been described in the chick, little is known about such characteristics in other avian species of interest to experimental biology. Therefore, we studied embryos of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) by light and laser confocal scanning microscopy, using the QH1 antibody as a tool to identify PGCs in both sexes and at all stages. LEA, WGA and RCA-I bound to PGCs in a similar way to QH1. LEA was the best marker for all stages. The presence of acid phosphatase and the intense reaction of LEA, WGA, RCA-I and WFA at the cell surface were shown to be a useful tool in the study of the migratory PGCs of the quail. Quails were sexed histologically in younger embryos than in chick; results were confirmed by PCR. The lectin-binding pattern changed drastically in differentiated gonads. Cell surface reactivity was almost entirely lost. Quail differentiating oogonia showed a characteristic binding pattern to QH1 and to the lectins WGA, RCA-I and WFA. Binding was observed in intense spots in the Golgi complex, and there was a specific PNA reaction. These results suggest that some selective sugar binding sites on the PGCs play a significant role in their migration, colonization and maturation.

We investigated a postulated trade-off between reproduction and immune function by comparing the energetic costs of an immune response with phytohemagglutinin challenge (or injection) in castrated (low testosterone [T]) and intact (high T) Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix). Intact birds had higher resting metabolic rate (RMR) and significantly lower immune response than castrates. RMR of intact birds did not change in response to an immune challenge, suggesting that maintenance of reproductive tissues and associated high T is both immunosuppressive and energetically costly. Despite having a greater immune response than intact quail, castrates had a lower pre-challenge RMR than intact birds and paradoxically tended to decrease RMR during an immune challenge. This paradox may be because of pro-inflammatory cytokines that are released during immune responses. Cytokines promote energy conservation through malaise and soporific behaviors, possibly explaining the co-occurrence of a relatively strong immune response and a decrease in nocturnal RMR in castrates. The lower immune response in intact birds may not elicit as great a response of pro-inflammatory cytokines owing to an already elevated RMR from reproductive state, thus reducing any effect on RMR. The suppressed immune response and elevated RMR in intact birds may be because of T; however, we cannot separate the effects of T per se from the metabolic requirements of reproductive tissues.

A combined scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation was undertaken to gain insight into the complex structural pattern of the atrial compartment and the gas exchange tissue of parabronchial units in quail and town pigeons. The aim was also to depict the changes taking place in the parabronchial unit in the late prehatching and early posthatching periods in quail. The standard SEM and TEM investigation was carried out in 13 mature quail and 8 town pigeons. The developmental study involved embryonic quail (Days 15, 16, 17), newly hatched quail, quail 24 h after hatching, and quail aged 2, 10, 19, and 25 days (3 individuals per group). The luminal relief of the parabronchus is formed by anastomosing interatrial septa delineating the atrial pits, which are thinner and shallower in pigeons. The atrial bottom opens in mature individuals into 3-6 infundibula. The extracellular material represented by trilaminar substance, which does not appear until hatching, veils the surface relief of the parabronchial epithelium, which is consequently hardly accessible to three-dimensional visualization. Only in town pigeons with fewer discontinuous layers of extracellular material was it possible to visualize the surface of the atrial epithelium, that is, of the granular and squamous atrial cells. The SEM analysis has convincingly shown the intricate spatial organization of atria, infundibula, and air and blood capillaries of the gas exchange tissue. The retinacula, that is, parallelly arranged processes of squamous respiratory cells bridging the air-capillary lumina, were evidenced by SEM and TEM. The complex structure of the avian parabronchus has been successfully demonstrated in the present SEM and TEM study.

Two groups of 10 quails each were fed for 30 days on a diet containing either 663 microg feed-borne acrylamide (AA)/kg feed (group B) or 2472 microg AA/kg feed (group C) respectively. The concentrations of AA present in excreta and eggs were compared with those measured in eggs and excreta obtained from a control group (group A) fed on a diet low in AA (

In this study, 30 pigeons (Columba livia forma domestica) and 30 quails (Coturnix coturnix) were used to evaluate the diagnostic practicability and relevance of an ultrasound-conducted liver biopsy. Their body weight ranged between 144 and 603 g. Considering anatomical peculiarities, the lateral (pigeons) or ventro-median (quails) access was chosen. In the case of the pigeons, 29 (96.7%) biopsies proved clearly to be liver tissue, while in the case of the smaller quails, 19 (63.3%) samples could be clearly identified as liver tissue. All animals but one quail survived the intervention. The blood chemical parameters varied before and after the biopsy within the physiological range. These results show that ultrasound-guided liver biopsy in avian patients is generally possible and with strict indication and conscientious application can be considered as a relatively risk free and diagnostically sensible addition to liver diagnostic in birds. An aimed collection of focal hepatic alterations is conceivable depending on the size of the patient.

An experimental model based on application of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) lines with high (H) and low (L) concentrations of plasma lactate was designed in order to investigate the effects of lead and chromium on embryonic development and reproductive success of experimental groups representing different genotypes. During the first stage of the trial, mature males from quail lines H and L (marked as generation T) were fed subchronically for 12 weeks with lead as Pb(NO(3))(2) and chromium as K(2)Cr(2)O(7) (dosage 0.8 and 0.142 g/kg, respectively, in the feed). In addition, a binary mixture of both lead and chromium was administered to the third group of males. The control group consisted of untreated birds. After mating with untreated females (8 female x 5 male in each group), progeny with four genotypes were obtained. The chicks were marked as generation F1 and used in the second stage of the trial. The data obtained show that heavy metals decreased the hatchability of sexually mature quail males: chromium (14%), lead (19%), and binary lead-chromium mixture (28%). Early embryonic mortality increased as much as 2-3 times. Single lead and binary lead-chromium additions decreased fertility after treating Japanese quail during the development of sexual maturity: lead increased the number of unfertile eggs up to 30% (twofold), binary lead and chromium, up to 50% (more than threefold) relative to untreated controls. There was no effect of chromium alone on fertility. In general, hatchability, fertility, embryonic mortality and reproductive success of Japanese quail were dependent on age, sex, genotypes, and on single or binary treatment with the inorganic salts of lead and chromium.

A long-acting, biodegradable, controlled-release formulation of oxytetracycline (CR-OTC) was evaluated in 18 adult Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) following a single subcutaneous (s.c.) injection. Prior to characterizing the release of oxytetracycline (OTC) from the CR-OTC, the pharmacokinetic parameters of intravenously (i.v.) administered OTC were determined. Concentrations of free OTC were measured using a bioassay. The plasma concentration-time profile of OTC after a single i.v. injection at 20 mg/kg was best fit to an open two-compartmental model, with the following pharmacokinetic parameters: area under the curve (AUC) = 36.72 mg. h/L, terminal elimination half-life = 2.34 h, clearance (Cl) = 0.545 L/kg/h. Plasma [OTC] was >1.0 micro g/mL for at least 4 h following i.v. injection. The CR-OTC gel was well tolerated at a dosage of 1500 mg/kg s.c. Plasma [OTC] rose to >1.0 micro g/mL within 24 h; it remained >1.0 micro g/mL for at least 10 days in all birds sampled at that time point (n = 9) and for at least 18 days in two of nine birds. Using a deconvolution technique, it was determined that approximately 54.8% of the administered OTC was released from the CR-OTC over the 45-day observation period. This long-acting, biodegradable controlled-release OTC formulation may have potential for the treatment of chlamydophila infections and other OTC-sensitive bacteria in Japanese quail, however further studies are necessary to determine its safety and clinical application.

Objective— To assess the ability of a porcine submucosal collagen patch to enhance ventriculotomy healing in quail. Study Design— Histologic assessment of wound repair after ventriculotomy. Animal Population— Eighteen adult Japanese quail. Methods— All quail had a ventriculotomy through the caudoventral thin muscle. The quail were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: group I (n = 9) had routine closure and group II (n = 9) had routine closure and the application of a porcine submucosal collagen patch over the serosal surface of the ventricular suture line. Three quail from each group underwent necropsy at 7, 14, and 21 days after surgery and healing of the ventriculotomy site was evaluated by microscopy. Results— Ventricular mucosal epithelium was completely healed at 21 days postoperatively. Time to restoration of the ventricular submucosal integrity was variable in both groups. There was evidence of a gross or microscopic perforation in 4 quail in group II, which was statistically significant (P= .041). Quail with perforations had significantly elevated numbers of ventricular serosal lymphoid aggregates compared with those without perforations (P= .029). There were no other significant temporal differences between group I and group II for mortality or histopathologic grading of wound healing. Conclusions— A porcine collagen patch did not enhance ventriculotomy wound healing. Subjectively, the collagen patch might have contributed to perforation by the generation of a lymphocytic xenograft rejection response. Clinical Relevance— Ventriculotomy can be safely performed using routine closure methods in healthy birds.

The common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is one of the few species in which mate-switching (when different pair bonds are established within a single breeding attempt), has been recorded. In this study, we report the characteristics of pair bonds (description, number of males per female and duration) by monitoring a wild population of common quail (28 females and 49 males) by radiotracking. 57% of the females studied (n = 14) showed mate-switching, whereas 22% of the males were serially polygynous, successively forming pairs with a series of females. The fitness of females with mate-switching, measured in terms of clutch size and hatching success, did not differ from that of females bonded with one male. The analysis of paternity in three families by multilocus DNA fingerprinting revealed genetic polygamy in two of the nests studied. A male sired offspring with two females, and we obtained genetic evidence for intraspecific brood parasitism. We discuss how these behavioural and ecological observations may relate to the particular mating system of the common quail.

Twelve quail eggshells from farmed Coturnix coturnix japonica were separately ground to fine powder and two aliquots of each (average weights 13.86 mg and 51.90 mg) were extracted with formic acid. Biliverdin (38–284 pmol/mg) and protoporphyrin (841–1666 pmol/mg) were measured by HPLC. There was good agreement between the values for the corresponding samples and with those for two entire eggshells from the same source. The preparation of a homogenate as a powder from heterogeneously pigmented eggshells has the advantage that not all of the sample needs to be initially extracted for analysis and residual material can be stored in a stable form and used for repeat measurements and for longitudinal studies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cytofluorimetric study of ploidy levels in ventricular cardiomyocytes was carried out on 36 adult bird species belonging to 10 orders as well as on the quail Coturnix coturnix, of different ages. It was shown that polyploidization of quail cardiomyocytes occurs during the first 40 days after hatching and ends by the time growth is completed. In adult birds, the cardiomyocyte ploidy hardly changed at all. Interspecies comparison revealed that in the adult bird myocardium 2cx2 myocytes are predominant, accounting for at least 50% of the cell population. Multinuclear cells with three to eight diploid nuclei were widespread. The percentage of such cells was five to six times higher in precocial species than in altricial birds of the same weight. Myocytes with polyploid nuclei were rare. A significant interspecies variability of cardiomyocyte ploidy levels was observed. The most prominent differences were found between the precocial and the altricial birds. The mean number of genomes in cells correlated both with the body mass and with the growth rate of the birds. The differences between the precocial and altricial birds disappeared when a statistical method was used to eliminate the effect of the growth rate, but did not when the effect of body mass was eliminated. Among the altricial birds, which are generally immobile during growth, the cardiomyocyte ploidy levels also correlated more closely with growth rate than with body mass. The opposite was observed in the precocial birds, which are highly mobile from the first minutes of life. We conclude that the interspecies variability of bird cardiomyocyte ploidy levels is a result of changes in the balance between the cardiac functional load and the growth rate; this is manifested at the cellular level as a competition between the proliferation and differentiation of cardiomyocytes. J. Exp. Zool. 289:48–58, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

This study investigated the potential overlap between breeding and hunting seasons for a population of common quail Coturnix coturnix in the Alexandria District. Seasonal abundance (assessed as the number of birds flushed per unit effort), sex ratios and reproductive condition (based on gonad sizes) of the quail were measured over a period of 16 months, including two hunting seasons. Hunting impacts were assessed in terms of the number of birds killed per unit of hunting effort. Quail exhibited a spring peak in abundance and reproduction, which coincided with the legal hunting season, and bird numbers varied markedly between years. Sex ratio varied, with males dominating early in spring. Hunters killed nearly 60% of the birds flushed, and hunter efficiency was positively correlated with the abundance of quail. These results confirm the dilemma for managers, as quail are currently hunted during the main breeding season and offtakes are high. The development of management strategies is hampered by a lack of understanding of the population biology and ecology, and impacts of hunting. A number of possible hunting strategies are discussed. Since current harvests may not be sustainable, further research is necessary. Resume Cette etude a cherche l'eventuel recouvrement entre les saisons de reproduction et de chasse pour une population de cailles des bles, Coturnix coturnix, dans le district d'Alexandria. L'abondance saisonniere (evaluee comme le nombre d'oiseaux leves par unite d'effort), les sex-ratios et les conditions de reproduction (basees sur la tailles des gonades) des cailles on ete mesures pendant 16 mois, y compris deux saisons de chasse. On a evalue l'impact de la chasse en termes de nombre d'oiseaux tues par unite d'effort de chasse. Les cailles presentaient un pic d'abondance et de reproduction au printemps, ce qui coi¨ncide avec la periode d'ouverture de la chasse, et le nombre d'oiseaux variait nettement d'une annee a l'autre. Le sex-ratio variait, les mâles dominant au debut du printemps. Les chasseurs tuaient pres de 60% des oiseaux leves, et l'efficacite des chasseurs etait liee positivement a l'abondance des cailles. Ces resultats confirment le dilemme pose aux gestionnaires, puisqu'on chasse aujourd'hui la caille pendant la principale saison de reproduction et que les prelevements sont lourds. Le changement de strategie de gestion est freine par le manque de comprehension de la biologie de la population, de son ecologie et de l'impact de la chasse. On discute un certain nombre de strategies de chasse possibles. Comme les prelevements actuels ne sont pas soutenables, il faut poursuivre les recherches.

We studied the effects of forest patch size and forest edge structure on nest predation in a boreal coniferous forest landscape. The following predictions were tested. Nest predation should be higher in small than in large stands, in edges than in interior areas of forest stands, and in barren forest/clear-cut edges created by forestry than in natural forest/open marsh edges. Four types of artificial above ground nests (total of 261) were used; open cup nests with reindeer Rangifer t. tarandus hair, open cup nests with domestic hen Gallus domesticus feathers, and unlined open cup and nest-box nests. Nests were baited with one Japanese quail Coturnix coturnix japonica egg. Nest-boxes were depredated significantly less than open cup nests of all types. No edge- or stand size-related nest predation was found. The predation rate, regardless of the nest type, did not differ relative to the edge type and vegetation characteristics. However, better horizontal visibility of open cup nests due to more open vegetation structure increased predation risk in man-made edges compared to inherent edges. The results suggest that edge-related nest predation is absent or weak in forest dominated landscapes. This may be due to predator types present in the landscape and/or predators habitat use in forest dominated areas. Therefore, it might be that findings documented in other areas, such as in agricultural dominated landscapes, cannot be directly applied to managed forest landscapes.

Chlorpyriphos (13 mg/kg) was administered to quail (Coturnix coturnix), and the responses of brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and plasma cholinesterase (ChE) were studied. Both enzymes responded rapidly, and the maximal inhibition (76.6 and 86.1%, respectively) ocurred 8 h postadministration. Plasma ChE recovered rapidly, and even on day 4, ChE values of quail that had received chlorpyriphos were higher than those of controls. The recovery of brain AChE activity was slower than that of plasma; it reached 59% of controls 2 d after chlorpyriphos administration, then it recovered slowly, and only at day 11 was its level not depressed with respect to controls. This recovery followed the logarithmic pattern Y = a + b(log X), where Y is the AChE activity expressed as the percentage with respect to controls and X is the day after dosing, giving a significant correlation (r = 0.9746, p < 0.001 when using group means and r = 0.9219, p < 0.001 when using individual values). No clinical signs or mortality were observed, and histopathological observations in the central nervous system (encephalytic reaction, necrotic Purkinje cells), liver (congestion, vacuolation), and kidney (congestion, nephrosis) were not severe and did not endanger the life of the quail. Sixteen hours after chlorpyriphos administration, some quail were treated with pralidoxime, which significantly reactivated brain AChE but not plasma ChE. However, this effect did not last for the rest of the experiment; because no signs of toxicosis appeared, the experiment was not repeated.

Many bird species conflict with human economic, aesthetic, or vital interests (Wetherbee et al. 1964). Pigeons (Columbia livia) cause tremendous damage and pollution to park benches, statues, vehicles, buildings, and domestic water supplies due to the highly corrosive uric acid contained in their droppings. Previous attempts to manage bird populations have failed because of high cost, variable success, and difficulty in application. A previous study demonstrated that certain dietary fatty acids can cause embryonic mortality in fertile eggs (Donaldson and Fites 1970). This suggests a potential approach for controlling wild bird populations. Cook et al. (1996) reported that dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA; a mixture of positional and geometrical isomers of linoleic acid) contributed to the control of bird populations at airports, cattle feed lots, and parks. Foods derived from ruminant animals contain the highest natural concentrations of CLA (Chin et al. 1992). Scientists have attributed multiple beneficial properties to CLA, such as anticarcinogenic (Ha et al. 1990), anti-atherogenic (Nicolosi et al. 1997), fat-reducing effects (Park et al. 1997), and immune-enhancing activity in chickens (Cook et al. 1993). A previous study showed that a low-fat diet supplemented with 0.5% CLA caused 100% embryonic mortality in the fertile chicken eggs (Aydin et al. 2001). Another study showed that a diet containing 3%, 2%, or 1% CLA caused 100% embryonic mortality in fertile Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) eggs after 6 days, 10 days, or 12 days of feeding, respectively (Aydin and Cook 2004). Researchers suggested that dietary CLA caused significantly higher embryonic mortality in fertile eggs by changing fatty acid composition of egg yolk (Lee 1996, Aydin et al. 2001). On-site management actions such as barriers, scare tactics, chemical repellents, and habitat modifications to control pigeon populations often correlate with high cost, variable success, and difficulty in application (Smith et al. 1999). We investigated the effect of dietary CLA on hatchability of fertile pigeon eggs to determine the potential for using CLA to control the population of wild bird species that are considered pests. Use of CLA could provide managers with a more cost-effective means of controlling pigeon populations. Study Area

Avian influenza virus (AIV) was recovered from the internal contents of eggs, including mixture of albumen and allantoic fluid, and from the oviduct of naturally infected Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) flocks in the southern part of Thailand. The virus titers of 10(4.6)-10(6.2) ELD(50)/mL were directly measured from the internal content of infected eggs. The virus was isolated by chorioallantoic sac inoculation of embryonating chicken eggs. Infected allantoic fluid was identified as hemagglutinating virus and then was indicated the presence of H5 hemagglutinin. The virus was confirmed to be H5N1 subtype influenza A virus by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay could specifically detect influenza virus subtype H5. Furthermore, indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test by using specific anti-influenza A monoclonal antibody indicated that virus antigens were detected in the parenchyma of multiple tissues. Systemic localization of viral antigen detected was certainly considered to be viremic stage. In addition, influenza virus antigen was also detected by IFA in allantoic fluid sediments isolated from internal content of egg or oviduct. The conclusion of isolated AIV type A subtype H5N1 from these two infected materials was correlated to the viremic stage of infection because the virus antigens could be observed in almost all tissues. Conclusively, the need for adequate safeguards to prevent contamination and spread of the virus to the environment during movement of eggs--including hatching eggs, cracked eggs, and other relevant infected materials-- or egg consumption from area of outbreak is emphasized and must not be ignored for the reasons of animal, public, and environmental health.

The Bh (black at hatch) gene was examined to determine whether it is expressed in plumage melanocytes by analyzing pigmentation patterns of Bh melanocytes placed in the micro-environment of the feather germs of quail embryos with pink eyes. These host quails genetically lack a large part of plumage melanin. The Bh locus in these almost white quails is wild-type. When Bh neural crest cells were transplanted orthotopically into the host embryos, wild-type and Bh/+ melanocytes, which differentiated from the transplanted neural crest cells, formed plumage pigmentation patterns characteristic of each genotype in the micro-environment of the host feather germs. Brown plumage pigmentation, which was very similar to that of 10-day Bh/Bh embryos, was also observed in the feather germs of host embryos that received Bh neural crest cells, although the genotype of the donors could not be determined. These donors died before pigmentation of their feather germs occurred. The results demonstrate that pigmentation patterns of Bh melanocytes are not altered in the micro-environment of the host germs, suggesting that the Bh gene is autonomous in Bh melanocytes and is expressed in melanocytes of both Bh and the host feather germs, and that it causes the normal pigmentation pattern to be altered.

Reconciling tree harvesting with the maintenance of forest bird populations is a major concern of integrated management. Because bird nest predation causes >50% of the nest losses in passerines and is known to vary according to habitat characteristics, we explored some aspects of avian nest predation in relation to forestry practices in a boreal coniferous landscape managed primarily for timber production in Quebec. Using artificial tree and ground nests with Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix) and plasticine eggs, we compared the risk of nest predation (1) in experimental riparian forest strips of different widths (20-m, 40-m, and 60-m unthinned strips; >300-m control strips; and 20-m thinned strips) and (2) in clearcuts experimentally subjected to different regeneration practices (plantations with chemical and mechanical weeding, and naturally regenerated clearcuts) between 1992 and 1995. The risk of ground nest predation was lower in naturally regenerated clearcuts (5% daily probability of predation) than...

While a number of studies have addressed bioaccumulation of the flame retardant Dechlorane Plus (DP), little information is available regarding the adverse effects of DP on animals, especially on bird species. In the present study, male common quails (Coturnix coturnix) were consecutively exposed to commercial DP-25 by gavage for 90 d at 1-mg/kg/d, 10-mg/kg/d, and 100-mg/kg/d dosages. Concentrations of DP isomers in liver, muscle, and serum were determined after exposure. Liver enzyme activity involved in xenobiotic biotransformation processes and oxidative stress was measured, as well as glutathione and maleic dialdehyde content. The results showed that DP was more prone to accumulate in the liver than in muscle and serum in all exposed groups. In tested tissues, syn-DP dominated in the high-exposure groups (10 and 100 mg/kg/d), whereas anti-DP tended to accumulate in the low-exposure group (1 mg/kg/d). The concentration ratios of anti-DP to total DP (fanti values) in the tissues examined were close to commercial DP in the low-exposure group; however, the fanti values were significantly decreased in the high-exposure groups. Enzyme activity of 7-pentoxyresorufin-O-demethylase (PROD) decreased significantly in all exposed groups compared with the control group, whereas activity of erythromycin N-demethylase (ERND) and the antioxidant enzyme catalase significantly increased in high-exposure groups. The results implied that DP exposure levels influenced isomeric compositions in organs and that DP exposure altered hepatic alkoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (AROD) activity and contributed to the biological effects of DP. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1649–1654. © 2013 SETAC