Circadian clock period length is not consistently linked to chronotype in a wild songbird.

Circadian clock properties vary between individuals and relate to variation in entrained timing in captivity. How this variation translates into behavioural differences in natural settings, however, is poorly understood. Here, we tested in great tits whether variation in the free-running period length (tau) under constant dim light (LL) was linked to the phase angle of the entrained rhythm ("chronotype") in captivity and in the wild, as recently indicated in our study species.

Short-time exposure to light at night affects incubation patterns and correlates with subsequent body weight in great tits (Parus major).

Artificial light at night (ALAN) widely affects wildlife by blurring light-dark differences, including transitions such as sunrise and sunset, thereby affecting regulation of diel rhythms. As a result, activity onsets in many wild diurnal songbirds advance under ALAN. From chronobiological studies, it is known that the direction and strength of the response to light depends on when during the night exposure takes place.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on birds migrating to the island of Ponza, Italy, and the tick-borne pathogens they carry.

Seasonal migration of birds between breeding and wintering areas can facilitate the spread of tick species and tick-borne diseases. In this study, 151 birds representing 10 different bird species were captured on Ponza Island, an important migratory stopover off the western coast of Italy and screened for tick infestation. Ticks were collected and identified morphologically.