Body Size Poorly Predicts Host-Associated Microbial Diversity in Wild Birds.

The composition and diversity of avian microbiota are shaped by many factors, including host ecologies and environmental variables. In this study, we examine microbial diversity across 214 bird species sampled in Malawi at five major body sites: blood, buccal cavity, gizzard, intestinal tract, and cloaca. Microbial community dissimilarity differed significantly across body sites.

Intestinal microbiota of Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds vary more over seasons and years than between host species.

Seasonal migration of Nearctic-Neotropical passerine birds may have profound effects on the diversity and abundance of their host-associated microbiota. Migratory birds experience seasonal change in environments and diets throughout the course of the annual cycle that, along with recurrent biological events such as reproduction, may significantly impact their microbiota. In this study, we characterize the intestinal microbiota of four closely related species of migratory Catharus thrushes at three time points of their migratory cycle: during spring migration, on the summer breeding territories and during fall migration.

Repeated sampling of individuals reveals impact of tropical and temperate habitats on microbiota of a migratory bird.

Migratory animals experiencing substantial change in diet and habitat across the annual cycle may have corresponding shifts in host-associated microbial diversity. Using automated telemetry and radio tags to recapture birds, we examined gut microbiota structure in the same population and often same individual of Kirtland's Warblers (Setophaga kirtlandii) initially sampled on their wintering grounds in The Bahamas and subsequently resampled within their breeding territories in Michigan, USA. Initial sampling occurred in March and April and resampling occurred in May, June and early July.

Contrasting drivers of diversity in hosts and parasites across the tropical Andes.

Geographic turnover in community composition is created and maintained by eco-evolutionary forces that limit the ranges of species. One such force may be antagonistic interactions among hosts and parasites, but its general importance is unknown. Understanding the processes that underpin turnover requires distinguishing the contributions of key abiotic and biotic drivers over a range of spatial and temporal scales.

Host and parasite morphology influence congruence between host and parasite phylogenies.

Comparisons of host and parasite phylogenies often show varying degrees of phylogenetic congruence. However, few studies have rigorously explored the factors driving this variation. Multiple factors such as host or parasite morphology may govern the degree of phylogenetic congruence.

Data supporting a molecular phylogeny of the hyper-diverse genus Brueelia.

Data is presented in support of a phylogenetic reconstruction of one of the largest, and most poorly understood, groups of lice: the Brueelia-complex (Bush et al., 2015[1]). Presented data include the voucher information and molecular data (GenBank accession numbers) of 333 ingroup taxa within the Brueelia-complex and 30 outgroup taxa selected from across the order Phthiraptera.

Unlocking the black box of feather louse diversity: A molecular phylogeny of the hyper-diverse genus Brueelia.

Songbirds host one of the largest, and most poorly understood, groups of lice: the Brueelia-complex. The Brueelia-complex contains nearly one-tenth of all known louse species (Phthiraptera), and the genus Brueelia has over 300 species. To date, revisions have been confounded by extreme morphological variation, convergent evolution, and periodic movement of lice between unrelated hosts.