Fecal consumption by adults of altricial birds in relation to the temporal change in nestling gut microbiota

Gao, Lifang; Zhang, Wen; Zhang, Haiyang; Zhu, Zhen-Qin; Zhang, Xiaodan; Li, Jian‐Chuan; Fan, Liqing; Du, Bo

doi:10.1093/cz/zoaa043

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Microbial re-seeding after fasting due to incubation has been surmised to occur in other species. During incubation and early chick rearing, adults of several species, including dunnocks (Lamb et al, 2017), spotted towhees (Pipilo maculatus) (McKay et al, 2009) and giant babax (Babax waddelli) (Gao et al, 2020) (Fig. 2), have been observed consuming nestling faecal sacs.…”

Section: Impacts Of Coprophagic Foraging Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2), have been observed consuming nestling faecal sacs. This behaviour is suggested to be a means of not only retaining nutrients (Lamb et al ., 2017) and microbes (Gao et al ., 2020) but also keeping the nest hygienic (Azcárate‐García et al ., 2019), and removing cues for predators (Burrows, 2018). However, in the case of giant babax, nestling faecal sacs were found to have a high abundance of Firmicutes – a keystone taxon in the gut of many bird and mammalian species (Waite & Taylor, 2014; Grond et al ., 2018).…”

Section: Role Of Coprophagy On Adult Gut Microbiome Stabilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in the case of giant babax, nestling faecal sacs were found to have a high abundance of Firmicutes – a keystone taxon in the gut of many bird and mammalian species (Waite & Taylor, 2014; Grond et al ., 2018). Coprophagic behaviour has therefore been suggested as a means by which parents could easily obtain these bacterial taxa (Gao et al ., 2020). Indeed, the reduced feeding rate in parents and the increased physiological demands of raising young could both impact the gut microbiome, limiting some bacterial species, although further experimental studies are required to demonstrate this.…”

Section: Role Of Coprophagy On Adult Gut Microbiome Stabilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, although most studies on avian coprophagy have inferred energetic and nutritional benefits of these readily available 'resources' (Fig. 2), there is growing evidence to suggest that coprophagy may be a mechanism by which birds augment and dynamically modify their gut microbiome (Kobayashi et al, 2019;Gao, et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, although most studies on avian coprophagy have inferred energetic and nutritional benefits of these readily available ‘resources’ (Fig. 2), there is growing evidence to suggest that coprophagy may be a mechanism by which birds augment and dynamically modify their gut microbiome (Kobayashi et al ., 2019; Gao, et al ., 2020). Coprophagy may therefore be beneficial to birds during development as well as during times of seasonal fluctuation, facilitating the adaptation of an individual's gut microbiota to its surrounding environment (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impacts of coprophagic foraging behaviour on the avian gut microbiome

Dunbar,

Drigo,

Djordjevic

et al. 2023

Biological Reviews

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Avian gut microbial communities are complex and play a fundamental role in regulating biological functions within an individual. Although it is well established that diet can influence the structure and composition of the gut microbiota, foraging behaviour may also play a critical, yet unexplored role in shaping the composition, dynamics, and adaptive potential of avian gut microbiota. In this review, we examine the potential influence of coprophagic foraging behaviour on the establishment and adaptability of wild avian gut microbiomes. Coprophagy involves the ingestion of faeces, sourced from either self (autocoprophagy), conspecific animals (allocoprophagy), or heterospecific animals. Much like faecal transplant therapy, coprophagy may (i) support the establishment of the gut microbiota of young precocial species, (ii) directly and indirectly provide nutritional and energetic requirements, and (iii) represent a mechanism by which birds can rapidly adapt the microbiota to changing environments and diets. However, in certain contexts, coprophagy may also pose risks to wild birds, and their microbiomes, through increased exposure to chemical pollutants, pathogenic microbes, and antibiotic‐resistant microbes, with deleterious effects on host health and performance. Given the potentially far‐reaching consequences of coprophagy for avian microbiomes, and the dearth of literature directly investigating these links, we have developed a predictive framework for directing future research to understand better when and why wild birds engage in distinct types of coprophagy, and the consequences of this foraging behaviour. There is a need for comprehensive investigation into the influence of coprophagy on avian gut microbiotas and its effects on host health and performance throughout ontogeny and across a range of environmental perturbations. Future behavioural studies combined with metagenomic approaches are needed to provide insights into the function of this poorly understood behaviour.

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Section: Impacts Of Coprophagic Foraging Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%