An Enigmatic Wild Passerine Mortality Event in the Eastern United States.

The ability to rapidly respond to wildlife health events is essential. However, such events are often unpredictable, especially with anthropogenic disturbances and climate-related environmental changes driving unforeseen threats. Many events also are short-lived and go undocumented, making it difficult to draw on lessons learned from past investigations.

Design and Aerodynamic Analysis of a Flapping Mechanism for Foldable Biomimetic Aircraft.

This study investigates the unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms underlying the efficient flight of birds and proposes a biomimetic flapping-wing aircraft design utilizing a double-crank double-rocker mechanism. Building upon a detailed analysis of avian flight dynamics, a two-stage foldable flapping mechanism was developed, integrating an optimized double-crank double-rocker structure with a secondary linkage system. This design enables synchronized wing flapping and spanwise folding, significantly enhancing aerodynamic efficiency and dynamic performance.

Design and Validation of a Biomimetic Leg-Claw Mechanism Capable of Perching and Grasping for Multirotor Drones.

Multirotor drones are widely used in fields such as environmental monitoring, agricultural inspection, and package delivery, but they still face numerous challenges in durability and aerial operation capabilities. To address these issues, this paper presents a biomimetic leg-claw mechanism (LCM) inspired by the biomechanics of birds. The claw of the LCM adopts a bistable gripper design that can rapidly close through external impact or actively close via the coordination of internal mechanisms.

The prevalence and immune response to coinfection by avian haemosporidians in wild Eurasian blackbirds .

Coinfection of a host by more than 1 parasite is more common than single infection in wild environments and can have differing impacts, although coinfections have relatively rarely been quantified. Host immune responses to coinfection can contribute to infection costs but are often harder to predict than those associated with single infection, due to the influence of within-host parasite–parasite interactions on infection virulence. To first quantify coinfection in a common bird species, and then to test for immune-related impacts of coinfection, we investigated the prevalence and immune response to avian haemosporidian (genera: , and ) coinfection in wild blackbirds.

The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous-throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass.

Native animals worldwide are experiencing long-term coexistence with invasive plants, leading to diverse behavioral changes. Invasive plants may create new habitat structures that affect the distribution or behavior of prey, which in turn might attract predators to these novel habitats, thereby altering predator-prey dynamics within the ecosystem. However, this phenomenon is rarely reported.

Ecological insights on the feeding behaviour of waterbirds in an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area of South West Johor Coast, Malaysia.

Mangroves and mudflats are essential intertidal habitats that support benthic communities, providing critical feeding grounds for waterbirds. However, the degradation of these habitats due to coastal reclamation poses significant threats to prey availability and waterbird populations along the South est Johor Coast. While most avian research in Johor focuses on forest birds, studies on coastal waterbirds, particularly their feeding ecology, remain scarce.

Phylogeography and biological characterization of H12N2 virus isolated from whooper swan in Central China.

Wild birds and waterfowl serve as the natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). When AIVs originating from wild birds cross species barriers to infect mammals or humans, they pose a significant threat to public health. The H12 subtype of AIVs primarily circulates in wild birds, with relatively few isolates reported worldwide, and the evolutionary and biological characteristics of H12 subtype AIVs remain largely unknown.

Characterization and pathogenicity of a novel avian orthoreovirus in China.

Introduction: Avian orthoreovirus (ARV) is a significant pathogen causing viral arthritis, leading to substantial economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide.

Methods: A novel ARV strain, designated FJ202311, was isolated from a broiler farm in Fujian Province, China. Whole-genome sequencing was conducted using next-generation sequencing with MGI technology, and phylogenetic analysis of the sigma C amino acid sequence was performed.

Storage stability evaluation of chicken seasoning by accelerating oil oxidation under different storage conditions.

The effects of temperature, humidity, and UV irradiation on the accelerated oil oxidation of chicken seasoning (CS) were investigated, aiming to establish a method for evaluating its storage stability. Key oxidation indicators, such as peroxide value (POV), fatty acid profile, and volatile aldehydes, were measured to assess the degree of oil oxidation. The results indicated that oil oxidation of CS is not significantly accelerated by temperatures of 50-80 °C due to the inhibitory effects of the Maillard reaction.

Protein hydrogel formation from chicken processing By-Products: Exploring applications in food.

Chicken processing by-products, such as meat left over on bones, skin, frames and connective tissues, are great sources of functional proteins that offer significant potential for value-added applications, contributing to both waste reduction and environmental sustainability. By transforming the recovered proteins from by-products into hydrogels, new materials can be developed for use in various industries, including food. However, understanding the chemical composition of these by-products and optimizing hydrogel production techniques are critical to producing hydrogels with desirable properties.

A novel genotype of Babesia microti-like group in Ixodes montoyanus ticks parasitizing the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) in Ecuador.

Babesia species (Piroplasmida) are hemoparasites that infect erythrocytes of mammals and birds and are mainly transmitted by hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). These hemoparasites are known to be the second most common parasites infecting mammals, after trypanosomes, and some species may cause malaria-like disease in humans. Diagnosis and understanding of Babesia diversity increasingly rely on genetic data obtained through molecular techniques.

Effects of lifetime feeding of hydrolyzed yeast to broiler breeders on egg production, quality, and hatchling attributes.

The effects of lifetime feeding of hydrolyzed yeast (HY) to broiler breeders (BB) on egg production, egg quality, and hatchling attributes were investigated. The birds were selected from two groups reared on diets with or without 0.05 % HY from hatch.

Investigating the design characteristics and parameter laws of bird-like flapping-wing aerial vehicles from the perspective of scaling.

Bird-like flapping-wing aerial vehicles (BFAVs) represent a significant advancement in the application of bird biology to aircraft design, with scaling analysis serving as an effective tool for identifying this design process. From the perspective of aviation designers, this paper systematically organizes the scaling laws of birds that are closely related to the design of BFAVs. An intriguing topic further explored is the comparison between birds and BFAVs from the standpoint of scaling, along with an examination of the differences in relevant design parameters.

Depletion of fenbendazole sulfone residues in Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) liver following medicated feed treatment.

Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) are an important game bird that generates substantial revenue for rural communities and is also an important grassland conservation species. Unfortunately, Northern bobwhite populations have been declining across their range for over 50 years. In the southwest bobwhite range, parasites are suspected to contribute substantially to the decline.

ZW sex chromosome differentiation in paleognathous birds is associated with mitochondrial effective population size but not mitochondrial genome size or mutation rate.

Eukaryotic genome size varies considerably, even among closely related species. The causes of this variation are unclear, but weak selection against supposedly costly "extra" genomic sequences has been central to the debate for over 50 years. The mutational hazard hypothesis, which focuses on the increased mutation rate to null alleles in superfluous sequences, is particularly influential, though challenging to test.

Microplastic accumulation in various bird species in Turkey.

Plastic pollution constitutes one of the major environmental problems of our time, and in recent years, it has emerged as a significant threat to the environment and to various organisms, including bird species. In this context, this study, which provides the first data in Türkiye, aimed to determine the level of microplastic (MP) pollution in 12 bird species (Eurasian buzzard; short-toed snake-eagle; white stork; northern long-eared owl; common barn-owl; ruddy shelduck; Eurasian eagle-owl; scarlet macaw; common pheasant; Indian peafowl; common kestrel; and gray parrot). The results indicate that MPs were detected in 50% of the specimens (n = 20), with an average of one MP/item per individual.

Genetic dissection of foxtail millet bristles using combined QTL mapping and RNA-seq.

QTL mapping of two RIL populations in multiple environments revealed a consistent QTL for bristle length, and combined with RNA-seq, a potential candidate gene influencing bristle length was identified. Foxtail millet bristles play a vital role in increasing yields and preventing bird damage. However, there is currently limited research on the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying foxtail millet bristle formation, which constrains the genetic improvement and breeding of new foxtail millet varieties.

Host size overrides maternal effects on the development of a secondary hyperparasitoid wasp.

Unraveling the numerous factors that drive phenotypic variation in trait expression among animals has long presented a significant challenge. Whereas traits like growth and adult size are often heritable and are passed on from one generation to the next, these can be significantly affected by the quality and quantity of resources provided by one or both parents to their offspring. In many vertebrates, such as birds and mammals, parents raise their young until adult, providing food, shelter, and protection.

A Cost-Effective Nonaqueous Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method to Measure Vitamin D3 in Hen's Egg Yolk.

The objective of this study is to develop an HPLC-UV method for the cost-effective and quantitative determination of vitamin D3 in food, even in the presence of vitamin D2, with a specific focus on egg yolk. During method development, the performance of three stationary phases in resolving the peak of vitamin D2 from that of vitamin D3 was investigated. The physicochemical properties of these phases differed particularly in the extent of hydrophobicity and silanophilic activity, including a GraceSmart RP C18 column without silanol endcapping, a Robusta RP C18 column with silanol endcapping, and a Waters Xbridge RP C18 column with ethylene-bridged hybrid (BEH) particle technology.

Cross-species single-cell transcriptomics reveals neuronal similarities and heterogeneity in amniote pallium.

The amniote pallium, a vital component of the forebrain, exhibits considerable evolutionary divergence across species and mediates diverse functions, including sensory processing, memory formation, and learning. However, the relationships among pallial subregions in different species remain poorly characterized, particularly regarding the identification of homologous neurons and their transcriptional signatures. In this study, we utilized single-nucleus RNA sequencing to examine over 130 000 nuclei from the macaque ( ) neocortex, complemented by datasets from humans ( ), mice ( ), zebra finches ( ), turtles ( ), and lizards ( s), enabling comprehensive cross-species comparison.

Transposable elements shape the landscape of heterozygous structural variation in a bird genome.

Avian genomes exhibit compact organization and remarkable chromosomal stability. However, the extent and mechanisms by which structural variation in avian genomes differ from those in other vertebrate lineages are poorly explored. This study generated a diploid genome assembly for the golden pheasant ( ), a species distinguished by the vibrant plumage of males.

Ribosome profiling and single-cell RNA sequencing identify the unfolded protein response as a key regulator of pigeon lactation.

Pigeons and certain other avian species produce a milk-like secretion in their crop sacs to nourish offspring, yet the detailed processes involved are not fully elucidated. This study investigated the crop sacs of 225-day-old unpaired non-lactating male pigeons (MN) and males initiating lactation on the first day after incubation (ML). Using RNA sequencing, ribosome profiling, and single-cell transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-seq), we identified a significant up-regulation of genes associated with ribosome assembly and protein synthesis in ML compared to MN.

Hematologic and clinical chemistry reference intervals for six species of wild birds frequently rescued in the Republic of Korea.

Objective: Reference intervals for hematologic and clinical chemistry values are useful when diagnosing a pathologic condition in animals. This study establishes relevant reference intervals for six species of wild birds that are frequently rescued at wildlife rescue centers in the Republic of Korea.

Methods: Forty-two Eurasian eagle owls (), 34 Oriental turtle doves (), 73 domestic pigeons (), 27 brown hawk-owls (), 76 common kestrels (), and 25 Eurasian magpies () were included in this study.

Effect of zinc level and the thermal environment on the zootechnical performance and tibia-breaking strength of Japanese quails.

Japanese quails () are sensitive to zinc (Zn) deficiency, a mineral essential for growth, development, and bone health. This study evaluated the effects of different levels of Zn in the diet on zootechnical performance, organ and carcass weight, and tibial breakage resistance in quails from 1 to 42 days of age. A 5 × 2 factorial design was used, consisting of five Zn levels (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 mg/kg) and two thermal environments (thermal comfort and heat stress), with five replicates of 10 birds per treatment.