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Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T16:40:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-12-01 Background: Hyacinth macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus is the largest parrot of the world and is considered vulnerable to extinction due to its habitat loss and illegal trade associated to the international pet market demand. Genetic studies on this species are still incipient to generate a consistent characterization of the population dynamics and to develop appropriate conservation strategies. In this sense, microsatellite markers may support the detection of a population genetic structure for this bird species. However, at this time, none Hyacinth macaw species-specific primers for microsatellite loci have been so far established. This study aimed to develop and characterize polymorphic microsatellite markers for A. hyacinthinus and to check for their cross-amplification in other parrot species. Findings: Sequences containing repeated dinucleotide motifs were prospected and optimized from a genomic library that was enriched for microsatellites using magnetic beads. The analyses of 43-57 samples from wild individuals of three distinct Brazilian subpopulations led to the characterization of five polymorphic microsatellite loci. Allele richness per locus ranged from two to 12. Three loci exhibited observed heterozygosity values higher than 50 %, but the overall average value among all loci was close to 45 %. In addition, successful primer cross-amplification was verified in seven other investigated species of Neotropical parrots. Conclusions: The newly developed markers have shown to be potentially useful for in situ and ex situ population studies to support future conservation actions of Hyacinth macaw and other parrots. Department of Genetics Institute of Biosciences São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Genetics Institute of Biosciences São Paulo State University (UNESP)

The largest remaining savanna ecosystem on the island of Trinidad is the Aripo Savannas Environmentally Sensitive Area (ASESA). It has been historically fragmented due to a number of anthropogenic activities. This study focused on the densities of the Red-bellied Macaw (Orthopsittaca manilatd) and Orange-winged Parrot (Amazona amazonica), which are known to rely on palms for roosting, nesting and feeding at the ASESA, in relation to the distribution of the fruiting Moriche Palms (Mauritia flexuosa) at the ASESA. There was a significant correlation between the total number of birds and number of fruiting Moriche Palms on transects for macaws (rs = 0.708, P = 0.022) but not for parrots (rs = 0.421, P = 0.225). Average group size increased significantly from the late rainy to the early dry season in macaws, but not in parrots. Point count surveys estimated higher densities than line transects for both macaws (129 vs. 87/km2) and parrots (193 vs. 103/km2). The use of peripheral areas showed that fragmentation had no effect on the foraging behavior of macaws or parrots. Nevertheless, if the savannas become increasingly modified, human-parrot conflicts may increase and so food resources should be integrated into management plans for this protected area.

Background: The genus Orthobornavirus comprises RNA viruses infecting humans, mammals, birds and reptiles, where parrot bornavirus 1 to 8 causes fatal neurological and/or gastrointestinal syndromes in psittacines. There is, to the best of our knowledge, no publication describing avian bornaviruses in pet parrots in Sweden. We aimed to identify and to produce epidemiologic knowledge about the etiologic agent associated with a history of severe weight loss and death of a Primolius maracana.Methods and results: The results of histopathology, immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR were compatible with avian bornavirus infection. Sequencing indicated infection by parrot bornavirus 4 (PaBV-4). The genotype reported shared high identity with PaBV-4 identified from pet psittacines and from wild birds in several countries. The N gene and X protein showed genotype clusters formation. P protein revealed to be more conserved within and between species of bornaviruses. Findings suggest horizontal transmission within and between avian orders and species.Conclusion: There seems to be a worldwide trading without biosafety measures, hence, further disease transmission could be avoided. For screening purposes, the P gene is a good candidate as a universal target in molecular diagnostics. Wild birds may be key pieces in the puzzle of bornavirus epidemiology.

Clinical manifestations of subcutaneous filariasis in a yellow-collared macaw (Ara auricollis) included lameness induced by subcutaneous nodule formation, which was attributed to the presence of the filarial parasite Pelecitus sp. Following anthelmintic and corticosteroid therapeutic failure, the problem was resolved by surgically removing the adult worms.

I NOTE with no little interest that the subject of “the elephant in America” has been revived in a communication to NATURE by Prof. G. Elliot Smith. The animal pictured by Prof. Smith has been interpreted by Dr. Allen and myself as a blue macaw (Ara militaris) in the following passage:—“The (figure) has even been interpreted as a trunk of an elephant or a mastodon, but is unquestionably a macaw's beak. In addition to the ornamental cross-hatching on the beak, which is also seen on the glyph from the same stela, there is an ornamental scroll beneath the eye, which likewise is cross-hatched and surrounded by a ring of subcircular marks that continue to the base of the beak. The nostril is the large oval marking directly in front of the eye” (Tozzer and Allen, Peabody Museum Papers, vol. iv., No. 3, p. 343, Cambridge, 1910).