scholarly journals Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing migrating and local breeding birds in Finland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jani J. Sormunen ◽  
Tero Klemola ◽  
Eero J. Vesterinen
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Ixodes Uriae ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Western Asia ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Local Breeding ◽  
Migrating Birds

AbstractTicks are globally renowned vectors for numerous zoonoses, and birds have been identified as important hosts for several species of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and tick-borne pathogens. Many European bird species overwinter in Africa and Western Asia, consequently migrating back to breeding grounds in Europe in the spring. During these spring migrations, birds may transport exotic tick species (and associated pathogens) to areas outside their typical distribution ranges. In Finland, very few studies have been conducted regarding ticks parasitizing migrating or local birds, and existing data are outdated, likely not reflecting the current situation. Consequently, in 2018, we asked volunteer bird ringers to collect ticks from migrating and local birds, to update current knowledge on ticks found parasitizing birds in Finland. In total 430 ticks were collected from 193 birds belonging to 32 species, caught for ringing between 2018 and 2020. Furthermore, four Ixodes uriae were collected from two roosting islets of sea birds in 2016 and 2020. Ticks collected on birds consisted of: Ixodes ricinus (n = 421), Ixodes arboricola (4), Ixodes lividus (2) and Hyalomma marginatum (3). Ixodes ricinus loads (nymphs and larvae) were highest on thrushes (Passeriformes: Turdidae) and European robins (Erithacus rubecula). The only clearly imported exotic tick species was H. marginatum. This study forms the second report of both I. uriae and I. arboricola from Finland, and possibly the northernmost observation of I. arboricola from Europe. The importation of exotic tick species by migrating birds seems a rare occurrence, as over 97% of all ticks collected from birds arriving in Finland during their spring migrations were I. ricinus, a species native to and abundant in Finland.

Variation in the respiratory quotient of birds and implications for indirect calorimetry using measurements of carbon dioxide production

1995 ◽  
Vol 198 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Walsberg ◽  
B Wolf
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Power Consumption ◽  
Indirect Calorimetry ◽  
Respiratory Quotient ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Production ◽  
Accurate Estimation

Determination of animal power consumption by indirect calorimetry relies upon accurate estimation of the thermal equivalent of oxygen consumed or carbon dioxide produced. This estimate is typically based upon measurement or assumption of the respiratory quotient (RQ), the ratio of CO2 produced to O2 consumed. This ratio is used to indicate the mixture of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins in the metabolic substrate. In this analysis, we report the RQ for two bird species, Passer domesticus and Auriparus flaviceps, under several dietary and fasting regimes. RQ commonly differed substantially from those typically assumed in studies of energy metabolism and often included values below those explainable by current knowledge. Errors that could result from these unexpected RQ values can be large and could present the primary limit to the accuracy of power consumption estimates based upon measurement of carbon dioxide production.

scholarly journals First record of Ornithodoros faccinii (Acari: Argasidae) on toads of genus Rhinella (Anura: Bufonidae) in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermes Ribeiro Luz ◽  
Bruna Barboza Bezerra ◽  
Walter Flausino ◽  
Arlei Marcili ◽  
Sebastián Muñoz-Leal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
First Record ◽  
Molecular Approach ◽  
Phylogenetic Relatedness ◽  
Mitochondrial Sequence ◽  
First Time

Abstract Although a group of soft ticks (Argasidae) associated with amphibians was recently discovered in Brazilian rainforests, parasitism by these ticks on cold-blooded animals remains less common than on mammal and bird species. In this study, we identified ticks that were collected from toads that had been caught in December 2016 and January 2017, at Itinguçú waterfall (22°54’05” S; 43°53’30” W) in the municipality of Itaguaí, state of Rio de Janeiro. Tick specimens were identified using a morphological and molecular approach. In total, twelve larvae of Ornithodoros ticks were collected from three individuals of Rhinella ornata and were identified as Ornithodoros faccinii. Our results include a longer 16S rRNA mitochondrial sequence for O. faccinii that supports its phylogenetic relatedness to Ornithodoros saraivai, and we report this tick species parasitizing Rhinella toads for the first time in Brazil.

scholarly journals Composition of tick species (Acari: Ixodida) on dogs in the urban agglomeration – a multi-year study

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 698-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirosław M. Michalski
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Rhipicephalus Sanguineus ◽  
Dermacentor Reticulatus ◽  
Urban Agglomeration ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The City

Ticks parasitizing on dogs belong to mites of the order Ixodida, class Arachnida. In Poland the occurrence of four species has been recorded most frequently: Ixodes ricinus, I. hexagonus, I. crenulatus and Dermacentor reticulatus. Their importance is due to the fact that they are vectors of many dangerous diseases of humans and animals. The subject of the present study were ticks collected from dogs, patients of several veterinary clinics from the urban agglomeration of the city of Olsztyn. Ticks were collected from May to June in eight consecutive years: 2009–2016. The dominant species was I. ricinus (60.14%) in relation to D. reticulatus (39.71%). In two consecutive years, 2011–2012, single females of Rhipicephalus sanguineus were also identified, an exceptional finding of this species in our country. In D. reticulatus, nymphs predominated over females (23.74% vs 16.0%) while in I. ricinus the respective percentage was 29.6% and 30.55%. However, in subsequent years of the study the proportions between nymphs and females varied greatly in both species.

scholarly journals Language barriers in global bird conservation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Jose Negret ◽  
Scott Consaul Atkinson ◽  
Bradley Woodworth ◽  
Marina Corella Tor ◽  
James Allan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Information ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Language Barriers ◽  
Language Diversity ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Western Asia ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Official Languages ◽  
Multiple Languages ◽  
Effective Conservation

Multiple languages being spoken within a species distribution can impede communication among conservation stakeholders, the compilation of scientific information, and the development of effective conservation actions. Here, we investigate the number of official languages spoken within the distributions of 10,863 bird species to identify which ones might be particularly affected by consequences of language barriers. We show that 1587 species have 10 languages or more spoken within their distributions. Threatened, migratory and wide-ranging species have especially many languages spoken within their distribution. Particularly high numbers of species with many languages within their distribution are found in Eastern Europe, Russia and central and western Asia. Global conservation efforts would benefit from implementing guidelines to overcome language barriers, especially in regions with high species and language diversity.

scholarly journals Brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus parasitizing the bird Coereba flaveola in the Brazilian cerrado

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 543-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matias Pablo Juan Szabó ◽  
Graziela Virginia Tolesano Pascoli ◽  
Oswaldo Marçal Júnior ◽  
Alexandre Gabriel Franchin ◽  
Khelma Torga
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Rhipicephalus Sanguineus ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Male Adult ◽  
Unknown Route ◽  
Brown Dog Tick ◽  
Dog Tick ◽  
Coereba Flaveola

During a survey for ectoparasites on birds in a small reserve of the Brazilian cerrado (savannah) a male adult Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick was found attached to the eyelid of the bird Coereba flaveola. Both tick and bird are presently common in Brazil, however, to best of our knowledge, the association of this tick species with this bird species has not been reported before. This observation may be an accidental finding but might also be an unknown route for the dissemination of the tick. The species R. sanguineus was introduced in the country with the colonization and should be considered a research target for the surveillance of tick-borne diseases.

scholarly journals Factors influencing fall departure phenology in migratory birds that bred in northeastern North America

The Auk ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Émile Brisson-Curadeau ◽  
Kyle H Elliott ◽  
Pascal Côté
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Short Distance ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Migration Timing ◽  
Warm Weather ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Timing Of Migration ◽  
Migrating Birds

Abstract The phenology of migrating birds is shifting with climate change. For instance, short-distance migrants wintering in temperate regions tend to delay their migration in fall during spells of warmer temperature. However, some species do not show strong shifts, and the factors determining which species will react to temperature changes by delaying their migration are poorly known. In addition, it is not known whether a slower migration or a postponed departure creates the observed delays in fall migration because most studies occur far south of the boreal breeding areas making it difficult to separate those 2 mechanisms. We used 22 yr of data at a northern observatory in eastern North America, at the southern edge of the boreal forest, to examine how 21 short-distance migrants responded to changing temperatures. We investigated if those species responding to temperature share life-history features (i.e. diet, size, total migration distance, breeding habitat, timing of migration). The period of migration in each species was, by far, the most important factor predicting the response of a species to temperature. Eight of the 13 species migrating in October changed their migration onset with temperature (usually by delaying migration by 1–2 days/°C), while the migration timing of none of the 8 species migrating in September was dependent on temperature. Furthermore, the absence of a greater migration delay by birds breeding farther from the study site (i.e. Arctic-breeding birds) suggests the mechanism is a postponed departure rather than a slower migration. We conclude that temperature variations in late fall influence the conditions on the breeding grounds, so that birds still present at that time benefit more from postponing their departure in warm weather.

scholarly journals Transstadial Transmission and Replication Kinetics of West Nile Virus Lineage 1 in Laboratory Reared Ixodes ricinus Ticks

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 780
Author(s):  
Cristian Răileanu ◽  
Oliver Tauchmann ◽  
Ana Vasić ◽  
Ulrike Neumann ◽  
Birke Andrea Tews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Vector Competence ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Viral Agent ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Transstadial Transmission ◽  
Kinetics Of

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne agent that has also been isolated from several tick species. Vector competence of Ixodes ricinus, one of the most common tick species in Europe, has been poorly investigated for WNV to date. As such, to evaluate the vector competence, laboratory reared Ixodes ricinus nymphs were in vitro fed with WNV lineage 1 infectious blood, allowed to molt, and the resulting females artificially fed to study the virus transmission. Furthermore, we studied the kinetics of WNV replication in ticks after infecting nymphs using an automatic injector. Active replication of WNV was detected in injected nymphs from day 7 post-infection until 28 dpi. In the nymphs infected by artificial feeding, the transstadial transmission of WNV was confirmed molecularly in 46.7% of males, while virus transmission during in vitro feeding of I. ricinus females originating from infected nymphs was not registered. The long persistence of WNV in I. ricinus ticks did not correlate with the transmission of the virus and it is unlikely that I. ricinus represents a competent vector. However, there is a potential reservoir role that this tick species can play, with hosts potentially acquiring the viral agent after ingesting the infected ticks.

scholarly journals Detoured flight direction responses along the southwest coast of Lake Erie by night-migrating birds

The Auk ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
David V Gesicki ◽  
Erica L Cech ◽  
Verner P Bingman
Keyword(s):  
Lake Erie ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Good Opportunity ◽  
Infrared Observations ◽  
The North ◽  
Flight Direction ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Topographical Feature ◽  
Migrating Birds

Abstract Migratory birds encounter the Great Lakes while moving through eastern North America toward breeding grounds to the North, which offers a good opportunity to study variation in migratory behavior as birds face a potentially influencing topographical feature. Using passive infrared technology, we documented the direction of relatively low-flying, nocturnal, mostly passerine migration in spring along the southern coast of Lake Erie’s western basin. We examined the extent to which spring migrants flew across Lake Erie as a continuation of the inland, northeasterly broad front migratory direction, as determined by weather radar and infrared observations, or displayed a tendency to deviate to more closely follow the direction of the coastline. We found that an estimated 62% of all low-flying migrants deviated their flight directions toward the coast of Lake Erie at 2 coastal sites, Cedar Point and Ottawa, which were characterized by northwest–southeast oriented coastlines. Migrants at a third coastal location, Maumee Bay, which has a more east–west oriented coastline, did not display similarly deviated flight directions. We found that even when winds were energetically favorable for a lake crossing, many migrants still routinely displayed deviated flight directions that approached paralleling the coastline. Further, the mean flight direction at one site, Ottawa, shifted more in the direction of the coastline as the night progressed, suggesting that time of night could influence the shift to a more coastal flight direction. The data indicate that the western basin of Lake Erie acts as a salient topographical feature influencing the flight directions of nocturnal migrants. The data further suggest that birds are making active decisions while in flight, based on current environmental and physiological conditions, about whether to continue to cross Lake Erie or take a coastal detour.

scholarly journals Novel methods reveal shifts in migration phenology of barn swallows in South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1733) ◽  
pp. 1485-1490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Res Altwegg ◽  
Kristin Broms ◽  
Birgit Erni ◽  
Phoebe Barnard ◽  
Guy F. Midgley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Recent Climate ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Barn Swallows

Many migratory bird species, including the barn swallow ( Hirundo rustica ), have advanced their arrival date at Northern Hemisphere breeding grounds, showing a clear biotic response to recent climate change. Earlier arrival helps maintain their synchrony with earlier springs, but little is known about the associated changes in phenology at their non-breeding grounds. Here, we examine the phenology of barn swallows in South Africa, where a large proportion of the northern European breeding population spends its non-breeding season. Using novel analytical methods based on bird atlas data, we show that swallows first arrive in the northern parts of the country and gradually appear further south. On their north-bound journey, they leave South Africa rapidly, resulting in mean stopover durations of 140 days in the south and 180 days in the north. We found that swallows are now leaving northern parts of South Africa 8 days earlier than they did 20 years ago, and so shortened their stay in areas where they previously stayed the longest. By contrast, they did not shorten their stopover in other parts of South Africa, leading to a more synchronized departure across the country. Departure was related to environmental variability, measured through the Southern Oscillation Index. Our results suggest that these birds gain their extended breeding season in Europe partly by leaving South Africa earlier, and thus add to scarce evidence for phenology shifts in the Southern Hemisphere.

Taxonomic review of freshwater Gammarus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Iran

Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3140 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
MEHRDAD ZAMANPOORE ◽  
MICHAL GRABOWSKI ◽  
MANFRED POECKL ◽  
FRIEDRICH SCHIEMER
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Asia Minor ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Mountainous Terrain ◽  
New Materials ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Alborz Region ◽  
Zagros Region

The paper summarizes current knowledge upon taxonomy and distribution of the freshwater Gammarus Fabricius, 1775 in Iran. Based on the literature data, 24 species were recorded so far from the fresh waters in the country. Revision of previously published materials including type collections, and analysis of new materials, revealed presence of 18 valid freshwater Gammarus species in Iran (G. anodon, G. bakhteyaricus, G. baloutchi, G. crinicaudatus, G. hegmatanensis, G. komareki, G. lacustris, G. lobifer, G. loeffleri, G. lordeganensis, G. paricrenatus, G. parthicus, G. pretzmanni, G. pseudosyriacus, G. sepidannus, G. shirazinus, G. sirvannus and G. zagrosensis). Among the remaining six species, three (G. arduus, G. laticoxalis, G. syriacus) were reported as a result of misidentification and further three (G. miae, G. plumipes, G. projectus) appeared to be junior synonyms of other already described species. Distribution ranges of most of the species are restricted usually to only few localities in the mountainous terrain, so they may be treated as Iranian endemics. The only exceptions are: G. lacustris (widely distributed in Holarctic, with only few populations in Iran), G. komareki (widely distributed in the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor, in Iran recorded from the entire Alborz region) and G. pseudosyriacus (widely distributed in Asia Minor, in Iran found in the entire Zagros region). A brief remark on taxonomy of each species is presented, with emphasis on misidentifications, synonymies and similar species, supplemented by distribution data, and ecological details if available. An identification key for the freshwater Gammarus of Iran is provided.

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