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Excretion patterns of coccidian oocysts and nematode eggs during the reproductive season in Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)

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posted on 2023-07-26, 13:47 authored by Didone Frigerio, Lara Cibulski, Sonja C. Ludwig, Irene Campderrich, Kurt Kotrschal, Claudia A. F. Wascher
Individual reproductive success largely depends on the ability to optimize behaviour, immune function and the physiological stress response. We have investigated correlations between behaviour, faecal steroid metabolites, immune parameters, parasite excretion patterns and reproductive output in a critically endangered avian species, the Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita). In particular, we related haematocrit, heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, excreted immune-reactive corticosterone metabolites and social behaviour with parasite excretion and two individual fitness parameters, namely, number of eggs laid and number of fledglings. We found that the frequency of excretion of parasites’ oocysts and eggs tended to increase with ambient temperature. Paired individuals excreted significantly more samples containing nematode eggs than unpaired ones. The excretion of nematode eggs was also significantly more frequent in females than in males. Individuals with a high proportion of droppings containing coccidian oocysts were more often preened by their partners than individuals with lower excretion rates. We observed that the more eggs an individual incubated and the fewer offspring fledged, the higher the rates of excreted samples containing coccidian oocysts. Our results confirm that social behaviour, physiology and parasite burden are linked in a complex and context-dependent manner. They also contribute background information supporting future conservation programmes dealing with this critically endangered species.

History

Refereed

  • Yes

Volume

157

Issue number

3

Page range

839-851

Publication title

Journal of Ornithology

ISSN

2193-7206

Publisher

Springer

File version

  • Published version

Language

  • eng

Legacy posted date

2016-05-31

Legacy creation date

2018-12-04

Legacy Faculty/School/Department

ARCHIVED Faculty of Science & Technology (until September 2018)

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