Expanding the known haemosporidian parasite diversity in Eurasian bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) subspecies through amplicon sequencing.

Monitoring haemosporidian parasites in birds is essential to comprehend the dynamics of avian malaria, a disease that significantly affects bird populations worldwide. This study concentrated on the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites in 198 specimens from two subspecies of the Eurasian bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), aiming to explore the genetic diversity and species richness of haemosporidian fauna across the host populations. By utilizing next-generation amplicon high-throughput sequencing (NGS), we observed a marked increase in the detection of haemosporidian diversity, revealing cryptic variants and species previously unidentified by Sanger sequencing.

Territorial meadow pipit males (Anthus pratensis; Passeriformes) become more aggressive in female presence.

Although mate guarding as prevention of extra-pair copulation is common among birds, evidence for aggressive behaviour involving physical contact related to mate guarding in passerines is scarce and cases of the presence of one partner directly influencing the aggressiveness of the other are lacking. We investigated the intra-specific territorial behaviour of male meadow pipits (Anthus pratensis; Passeriformes: Motacillidae) at the beginning of the breeding season by placing a pipit model accompanied by an intra-specific song playback in the territory of socially paired males and compared the responses of males whose mates were physically present during trials with those whose females were out of sight. The level of aggression of males was significantly higher in the presence of the female; half of the males in this group physically attacked the model (the most intense and risky aggressive behaviour).

Molecular and phenotypic divergence in the bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) subspecies complex.

Subspecies complexes may provide valuable insights into the early stages of the speciation process. The bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) consists of many morphologically distinct subspecies that differ most strikingly in the ornamental colour pattern of the male throat. We investigated the genetic and phenotypic differentiation in this subspecies complex, using (i) microsatellite genotyping (11 loci) of a sample of 364 individuals from bluethroat populations in Europe and Asia, and (ii) spectrometric and morphological measurements of a sample of 131 museum skin specimens.