Novel
            <i>Rickettsia</i>
            spp. in two common overwintering North American songbirds

Becker, Daniel; Byrd, Allison; Smiley, Tara M.; Marques, Mariana Fernandes; Nunez, Julissa Villegas; Talbott, Katherine; Atwell, Jonathan W.; Volokhov, Dmitriy V.; Ketterson, Ellen D.; Jahn, Alex E.; Clark, Kerry L.

doi:10.1080/22221751.2022.2140610

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Median latitudinal and distance estimates were calculated from geographic assignment probability maps by extracting the geographic cell coordinates with the highest posterior probability (top 10%) using the raster package (Hijmans, 2019 ). Migration distance was defined as the distance from the release site to the centroid of the estimated breeding polygon (Becker et al., 2022 ; Wanamaker et al., 2020 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of spring migration departure dates in a New World sparrow: Weather variables reign supreme

Byrd,

Talbott,

Smiley

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Numerous factors influence the timing of spring migration in birds, yet the relative importance of intrinsic and extrinsic variables on migration initiation remains unclear. To test for interactions among weather, migration distance, parasitism, and physiology in determining spring departure date, we used the Dark‐eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) as a model migratory species known to harbor diverse and common haemosporidian parasites. Prior to spring migration departure from their wintering grounds in Indiana, USA, we quantified the intrinsic variables of fat, body condition (i.e., mass ~ tarsus residuals), physiological stress (i.e., ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes), cellular immunity (i.e., leukocyte composition and total count), migration distance (i.e., distance to the breeding grounds) using stable isotopes of hydrogen from feathers, and haemosporidian parasite intensity. We then attached nanotags to determine the timing of spring migration departure date using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. We used additive Cox proportional hazard mixed models to test how risk of spring migratory departure was predicted by the combined intrinsic measures, along with meteorological predictors on the evening of departure (i.e., average wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and temperature). Model comparisons found that the best predictor of spring departure date was average nightly wind direction and a principal component combining relative humidity and temperature. Juncos were more likely to depart for spring migration on nights with largely southwestern winds and on warmer and drier evenings (relative to cooler and more humid evenings). Our results indicate that weather conditions at take‐off are more critical to departure decisions than the measured physiological and parasitism variables.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of spring migration departure dates in a New World sparrow: Weather variables reign supreme

Byrd,

Talbott,

Smiley

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Migration distance was defined as the distance from the release site to the centroid of the estimated breeding polygon (Becker et al, 2022; Wanamaker et al, 2020).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Median latitudinal and distance estimates were calculated from geographic assignment probability maps by extracting the geographic cell coordinates with the highest posterior probability (top 10%) using the raster package (Hijmans, 2019). Migration distance was defined as the distance from the release site to the centroid of the estimated breeding polygon (Becker et al, 2022; Wanamaker et al, 2020).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of spring migration departure dates in a New World sparrow: weather variables reign supreme

Byrd,

Talbott,

Smiley

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Numerous factors influence the timing of spring migration in birds, yet the relative importance of intrinsic and extrinsic variables on migration initiation remains unclear. To test for interactions among weather, migration distance, parasitism, and physiology in determining spring departure date, we used Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis hyemalis) as a model migratory species known to harbor diverse and common haemosporidian parasites. Prior to spring migration departure from their wintering grounds in Indiana, USA, we quantified the intrinsic variables of fat, body condition (i.e., mass∼tarsus residuals), physiological stress (i.e., ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes), cellular immunity (i.e., leukocyte composition and total count), migration distance (i.e., distance to the breeding grounds) using stable isotopes of hydrogen from feathers, and haemosporidian parasite intensity. We then attached nanotags to determine the timing of spring migration departure date using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. We used additive Cox proportional hazard mixed models to test how risk of spring migratory departure was predicted by the combined intrinsic measures, along with meteorological predictors on the evening of departure (i.e., average wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and temperature). Model comparisons found that the best predictor of spring departure date was average nightly wind direction and a principal component combining relative humidity and temperature. Juncos were more likely to depart for spring migration on nights with largely southwestern winds and on warmer and drier evenings (relative to cooler and more humid evenings). Our results indicate that weather conditions at take-off are more critical to departure decisions than the measured physiological and parasitism variables.

show abstract

“…Due to the energetic cost of migration (Wikelski et al, 2003; McWilliams et al, 2004), most migratory birds must stop en route at stopover sites to rest and replenish fuel stores in unfamiliar habitats. Birds may pick up new or drop off existing ectoparasites, such as ticks, during stopover, acting as a long-distance dispersal mechanism for ectoparasites and their pathogens (Mukherjee et al, 2014; Cohen et al, 2015; Zenzal et al, 2017; James et al, 2011; Hasle 2013; Nicholls and Callister 1996; Becker et al, 2022). Moreover, migratory birds often serve as competent reservoirs of multiple tick-borne pathogens (Reed et al, 2003; Comstedt et al, 2006; Becker and Han, 2021) and thus are rightfully termed as "ecological bridges" due to their role in moving both ectoparasites and pathogens to new ecological niches (Pascucci et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ticks without borders: Microbial communities of immature Neotropical tick species parasitizing migratory landbirds along northern Gulf of Mexico

Karim,

Zenzal,

Beati

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The long-distance, seasonal migrations of birds make them an effective ecological bridge for the movement of ticks. The introduction of exotic tick species to new geographical regions can lead to the emergence of novel tickborne pathogens or the reemergence of previously eradicated ones. This study assessed the prevalence of exotic tick species parasitizing resident, short distance, and long distance songbirds during spring and autumn at stopover sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico using the mitochondrial 12S rDNA gene. Birds were captured for tick collection from six different sites from late August to early November in both 2018 and 2019. The highest number of ticks were collected in the 2019 season. Most ticks were collected off the Yellow breasted Chat (Icteria virens) and Common Yellow throat (Geothlypis trichas), and 54% of the total ticks collected were from Grand Chenier, LA. A high throughput 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing approach was followed to characterize the microbial communities and identify pathogenic microbes in all tick samples. Tick microbial communities, diversity, and community structure were determined using quantitative insight into microbial ecology (QIIME). The sparse correlations for compositional data (SparCC) approach was then used to construct microbial network maps and infer microbial correlations. A total of 421 individual ticks in the genera Amblyomma, Haemaphysalis, and Ixodes were recorded from 28 songbird species, of which Amblyomma and Amblyomma longirostre was the most abundant tick genus and species, respectively. Microbial profiles showed that Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum. The most abundant bacteria include the pathogenic Rickettsia and endosymbiont Francisella, Candidatus Midichloria, and Spiroplasma. BLAST analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction of the Rickettsia sequences revealed the highest similarities to pathogenic spotted and non-spotted fever groups, including R. buchneri, R. conorii, R. prowazekii, R. bellii, R. australis, R. parkeri, R. monacensis, and R. monteiroi. Permutation multivariate analysis of variance revealed that the relative abundance of Francisella and Rickettsia drives microbial patterns across the tick genera. We also observed a higher percentage of positive correlations in microbe-microbe interactions among members of the microbial communities. Network analysis suggested a negative correlation between a) Francisella and Rickettsia and, b) Francisella and Cutibacterium. Lastly, mapping the distributions of bird species parasitized during spring migrations highlighted geographic hotspots where migratory songbirds could disperse ticks and their pathogens at stopover sites or upon arrival to their breeding grounds, the latter showing means dispersal distances from 421 to 5003 kilometers. These findings strongly highlight the potential role of migratory birds in the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens.

show abstract

Novel Rickettsia spp. in two common overwintering North American songbirds

Cited by 5 publications

References 16 publications

Determinants of spring migration departure dates in a New World sparrow: Weather variables reign supreme

Determinants of spring migration departure dates in a New World sparrow: Weather variables reign supreme

Determinants of spring migration departure dates in a New World sparrow: weather variables reign supreme

Ticks without borders: Microbial communities of immature Neotropical tick species parasitizing migratory landbirds along northern Gulf of Mexico

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About