Introduction: Wild birds are considered reservoirs of poultry pathogens although transmission routes have not been conclusively established. Here we use camera trapping to study wild bird communities on commercial layer and red-legged partridge farms over a one-year timeframe. We also analyze direct and indirect interactions of other bird species with the house sparrow (), a potential bridge host.
Methods: We conducted camera trapping events between January 2018 and October 2019, in two caged layer farms, one free-range layer farm, and two red-legged partridge farms in South-Central Spain.
Results And Discussion: We observed wild bird visits on all types of farms, with the significantly highest occurrence on red-legged partridge farms where food and water are more easily accessible, followed by commercial caged layer farms, and free-range chicken farms. The house sparrow () followed by spotless starlings () was the most encountered species on all farms, with the highest frequency in caged layer farms. On partridge farms, the house sparrow accounted for 58% of the wild bird detections, while on the free-range chicken farm, it made up 11% of the detections. Notably, the breeding season, when food and water are scarce in Mediterranean climates, saw the highest number of wild bird visits to the farms. Our findings confirm that the house sparrow, is in direct and indirect contact with layers and red-legged partridges and other wild birds independent of the type of farm. Contacts between house sparrows and other bird species were most frequent during the breeding season followed by the spring migration period. The species most frequently involved in interactions with the house sparrow belonged to the order Passeriformes. The study provides a comparative description of the composition and seasonal variations of bird communities in different types of layer/ poultry farms in Southern Spain i.e. a Mediterranean climate. It confirms the effectiveness of biosecurity measures that restrict access to feed and water. Additionally, it underscores the importance of synanthropic species, particularly the house sparrow, as potential bridge vector of avian pathogens.
The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a gregarious generalist species, which makes it a good model for studying play. However, play has not been described for this species so far. We describe play behaviour in house sparrows for the first time, quantifying all play and play-related behaviours, searching for differences between the different sexes and ages, the possible association with reproductive success and the diffusion of this behaviour in the population.
Three species of the genus Brueelia Kéler, 1936 are reported from South Africa for the first time: Brueelia cyclothorax (Burmeister, 1838) ex Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758), Brueelia queleae Sychra & Barlev [in Sychra et al.], 2010a ex Quelea quelea lathami (Smith, 1836), and Brueelia coryliventer Gustafsson & Bush, 2015, ex Creatophora cinerea (Meuschen, 1787). In addition, two new species of Brueelia are described from South African ploceids: Brueelia oschadlei n.
DNA damage can be caused by a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. A recent study showed that free-living house sparrows have higher DNA damage in the summer than the winter across five different tissues. This result was consistent when house sparrows were brought into captivity and exposed to comparable light cycles, with all other variables held constant.
Humans become more selective with whom they spend their time, and as a result, the social networks of older humans are smaller than those of younger ones. In non-human animals, processes such as competition and opportunity can result in patterns of declining sociality with age. While there is support for declining sociality with age in mammals, evidence from wild bird populations is lacking.
- The Usutu virus (USUV) is a rising concern as a mosquito-borne flavivirus leading to more human infections globally, prompting a need for better monitoring and understanding.
- Researchers created an extensive database to analyze USUV infections across vectors, animals, and humans, using boosted regression tree models to understand the virus's geographic spread and main vectors and hosts.
- Their findings indicate that about 1.04 billion people are at risk for USUV infection worldwide, with a large potential exposure area, emphasizing the need for enhanced surveillance, especially in high-risk regions.
