scholarly journals Corticosterone Responses in Wild Birds: The Importance of Rapid Initial Sampling

The Condor ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Michael Romero ◽  
Robin C. Romero
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Free Living ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Elapsed Time ◽  
Corticosterone Response ◽  
Calcarius Lapponicus ◽  
Initial Sampling ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii

Abstract Corticosterone concentrations in birds usually rise in response to capture and handling, and it is often assumed that this change is predictable. We tested this assumption by leaving Gambel's White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), and Lapland Longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) in nets or traps for 15 min following capture and comparing their corticosterone response over the next 60 min with birds removed immediately. White-crowned Sparrows and House Sparrows left in mist nets for 15 min and then bled had significantly elevated corticosterone concentrations compared to controls that were immediately removed from the net and bled. Corticosterone concentrations over the next 45 min of handling and restraint were similar between groups. In another experiment, White-crowned Sparrows and Lapland Longspurs were captured using seed-baited Potter traps. The corticosterone response of White-crowned Sparrows left in the trap for 15 min did not differ from White-crowned Sparrows removed immediately. Leaving Lapland Longspurs in the trap had no effect in the initial 10 min of handling and restraint, but at 30 and 60 min these birds had significantly lower corticosterone concentrations than longspurs removed immediately from the trap. These data indicate that failing to immediately remove birds from nets or traps can alter the corticosterone response to subsequent stressful stimuli in unpredictable ways. This result emphasizes that the elapsed time from capture is a critical variable in assessing stress responses in free-living birds. Respuestas de los Niveles de Corticosterona en Aves Silvestres: La Importancia de un Muestreo Inicial Inmediato Resumen. Las concentraciones de corticosterona en las aves usualmente aumentan en respuesta a la captura y manipulación, y muchas veces se supone que estos cambios son predecibles. Pusimos a prueba esta suposición reteniendo individuos de las especies Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, Passer domesticus y Calcarius lapponicus en redes o trampas durante los 15 minutos subsecuentes a la captura y comparamos sus respuestas en los niveles de corticosterona durante los siguientes 60 minutos con las de individuos removidos inmediatamente de las trampas y redes. Las muestras de sangre de Z. l. gambelii y P. domesticus que fueron obtenidas después de 15 minutos de retención en las redes tuvieron niveles de corticosterona significativamente más altos que las de los individuos control obtenidas inmediatamente después de la captura. Durante los 45 minutos siguientes de manipulación y captura, las concentraciones de corticosterona fueron similares entre los dos grupos. En otro experimento, Z. l. gambelii y C. lapponicus fueron capturados mediante trampas “Potter” cebadas con semillas. La respuesta en los niveles de corticosterona de Z. l. gambelii no fue diferente entre individuos retenidos en las trampas por 15 minutos e individuos removidos inmediatamente. Para individuos de C. lapponicus retenidos en las trampas no hubo un efecto durante los 10 minutos iniciales de manipulación y captura, pero a los 30 y 60 minutos estas aves tuvieron concentraciones significativamente menores que los individuos removidos inmediatamente. Estos resultados indican que al no remover inmediatamente a las aves de las redes o trampas, las respuestas en los niveles de corticosterona a estímulos estresantes pueden verse alteradas de una manera impredecible. Estos resultados enfatizan que en aves silvestres, el lapso de tiempo desde la captura es una variable crítica en la determinación de las respuestas al estrés.

Migratory behaviour of captive white-crowned sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, differs during autumn and spring migration

Behaviour ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 143 (10) ◽  
pp. 1219-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn Ramenofsky ◽  
Renée Agatsuma
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Migratory Restlessness ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Life History Stages ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii

AbstractGambel's white-crown sparrow (Zonotorichia leucophrys gambelii) is a long-distance, over-land migrant. In captivity birds display many characteristics of the autumn and spring migratory life history stages that include hyperphagia, fattening and high intensity nocturnal activity termed migratory restlessness or Zugunruhe. We recorded the behaviour of captive birds while simultaneously collecting 24 h locomotor activity. These data were used to define the behaviour displayed by captive birds during autumn and spring in order to compare the two migratory stages and to draw inferences for free-living birds. The predominant behaviour during day and nighttime was rest. Feeding occurred only during daylight hours but at a greater frequency in autumn than spring. Birds generally used their feet as the primary source of locomotion during the day termed 'jump'. During the night, two distinct behaviours, 'beak-up flight' and 'beak-up' involving high intensity wing motions were observed and considered components of migratory restlessness. The frequency of the 'beak-up flight' was greatest during spring and associated with the enhanced tempo of vernal migration. In both stages, migratory restlessness was preceded by a quiescent phase, the occurrence of which differed and related to time available for foraging and length of the night. Given these findings, we hypothesize that diel behaviours displayed by autumn and spring migrants in captivity highlight distinctions between the two life history stages.

Protein intake and the dynamics of the postnuptial molt in White-crowned Sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 2225-2229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E. Murphy ◽  
James R. King
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Sulfur Amino Acids ◽  
Daily Consumption ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
High Quality Protein ◽  
Protein Group ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii

Nutritional constraints have often been invoked as either ultimate or proximate agents that account for variation in the schedule and intensity of molt and the quality of the new plumage. We examined this hypothesis by analyzing the dynamics of postnuptial molt and the condition of the new feathers in seven groups of White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) in which the mean daily consumption of high-quality protein in otherwise balanced diets ranged from subadequate (0.20 g/bird) to superadequate (3.23 g/bird). Mean body mass during molt did not differ among the six groups consuming 0.46 g/bird-day or more (0.69, 0.97, 1.76, 1.99, and 3.23 g/bird-day) but was significantly less throughout molt (e.g., ca. 20 vs. 26 g in mid to late molt) in the group subsisting on 0.20 g/bird-day. The mean date of molt onset (27 June – 2 July) was statistically the same in all the groups, as was the duration of molt (51–57 days) in the six groups consuming 0.46 g or more of protein per day. In the lowest-protein group (0.20 g/bird-day) the molt lasted > 111 days. The protraction of molt resulted from both a slower growth rate of flight feathers and longer shedding intervals between them. The new primary remiges of the birds in this group averaged 4–9% shorter than in the six other groups, which were statistically indistinguishable from each other. These results are consistent with those of earlier experiments on the effects on molt of shortages of nutritionally balanced diets and of diets deficient only in sulfur amino acids. Molt is very resistant to the kinds of malnutrition that free-living birds may encounter. Only very severe levels of privation that sharply depress body mass and potentially threaten life significantly slow the rate of molt or reduce the quality of plumage.

scholarly journals Reproduction and modulation of the stress response: an experimental test in the house sparrow

2006 ◽  
Vol 274 (1608) ◽  
pp. 391-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ádám Zoltán Lendvai ◽  
Mathieu Giraudeau ◽  
Olivier Chastel
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Reproductive Value ◽  
Free Living ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Breeding Date ◽  
Nestling Period ◽  
Breeding Attempt

The stress response is highly variable among individuals, but the causes of this variation remain largely unknown. In response to stressors, vertebrates secrete elevated levels of glucocorticoids which enhance survival, but concurrently interfere with reproduction. We tested the hypothesis that individuals flexibly modulate their stress response with respect to the reproductive value of their brood in free-living house sparrows ( Passer domesticus ). We experimentally increased or decreased clutch size during the nestling period and found that parents tending enlarged clutches responded less strongly to a stressor than those tending reduced clutches. In addition, we examined whether individuals responded less strongly to a stressor as the breeding season progressed and future reproductive opportunities declined. We found that the stress response decreased with breeding date during the birds' first breeding attempt, but it remained constant during their second breeding attempt. Within-individual variability in the stress response was related to the brood size manipulations the birds received in their two consecutive breeding attempts. These results provide the first experimental support for the hypothesis that individuals actively modulate their stress response with respect to the value of current reproduction.

Canary Pox in Sparrows and Canaries (Fringillidae) and in Weavers (Ploceidae); Pathology and Host Specificity of the Virus

1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Giddens ◽  
L. J. Swango ◽  
J. D. Henderson ◽  
R. A. Lewis ◽  
D. S. Farner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Cytoplasmic Inclusions ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Cutaneous Reactions ◽  
Mycotic Infections

An epornitie of canary pox occurred in white-crowned sparrows ( Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelli), golden-crowned sparrows ( Zonotrichia atricapilla), and house sparrows ( Passer domesticus), which had been caught in the wild and were being studied in laboratories. Of 900 exposed birds, 100 died naturally with the disease and 200 with clinical signs, and their 600 cage mates were killed. The earliest lesion was proliferative dermatitis around the eyes and beak. Next, severe ulcerative dermatitis, often with secondary bacterial and mycotic infections, developed under the wing; rhinitis, pneumonia, pleuritis, and peritonitis occurred in advanced cases. Histologically, there were eosinophilic, sudanophilic, cytoplasmic inclusions in epithelial cells and in subepidermal lymphoreticular cells. The isolated virus produced 100% mortality when inoculated into white-crowned sparrows, house sparrows, and canaries but only local cutaneous reactions in pigeons, turkeys, and chickens.

scholarly journals Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone in Gambel's white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii): cDNA identification, transcript localization and functional effects in laboratory and field experiments

2004 ◽  
Vol 182 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Osugi ◽  
K Ukena ◽  
GE Bentley ◽  
S O'Brien ◽  
IT Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Cellular Localization ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Gonadotropin Release ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii ◽  
Gonadotropin Inhibitory Hormone ◽  
Seasonally Breeding

The neuropeptide control of gonadotropin secretion is primarily through the stimulatory action of the hypothalamic decapeptide, GnRH. We recently identified a novel hypothalamic dodecapeptide with a C-terminal LeuPro-Leu-Arg-Phe-NH2 sequence in the domestic bird, Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). This novel peptide inhibited gonadotropin release in vitro from the quail anterior pituitary; thus it was named gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH). GnIH may be an important factor regulating reproductive activity not only in domesticated birds but also in wild, seasonally breeding birds. Thus, we tested synthetic quail GnIH in seasonally breeding wild bird species. In an in vivo experiment, chicken gonadotropin-releasing hormone-I (cGnRH-I) alone or a cGnRH-I/quail GnIH cocktail was injected i.v. into non-breeding song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). Quail GnIH rapidly (within 2 min) attenuated the GnRH-induced rise in plasma LH. Furthermore, we tested the effects of quail GnIH in castrated, photostimulated Gambel's white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), using quail GnIH or saline for injection. Again, quail GnIH rapidly reduced plasma LH (within 3 min) compared with controls. To characterize fully the action of GnIH in wild birds, the identification of their endogenous GnIH is essential. Therefore, in the present study a cDNA encoding GnIH in the brain of Gambel's white-crowned sparrow was cloned by a combination of 3' and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends and compared with the quail GnIH cDNA previously identified. The deduced sparrow GnIH precursor consisted of 173 amino acid residues, encoding one sparrow GnIH and two sparrow GnIH-related peptides (sparrow GnIH-RP-1 and GnIH-RP-2) that included Leu-Pro-Xaa-Arg-Phe-NH2 (Xaa=Leu or Gln) at their C-termini. All these peptide sequences were flanked by a glycine C-terminal amidation signal and a single basic amino acid on each end as an endoproteolytic site. Although the homology of sparrow and quail GnIH precursors was approximately 66%, the C-terminal structures of GnIH, GnIH-RP-1 and GnIH-RP-2 were all identical in two species. In situ hybridization revealed the cellular localization of sparrow GnIH mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Immunohistochemical analysis also showed that sparrow GnIH-like immunoreactive cell bodies and terminals were localized in the PVN and median eminence respectively. Thus, only the sparrow PVN expresses GnIH, which appears to be a hypothalamic inhibitory factor for LH release, as evident from our field injections of GnIH into free-living breeding white-crowned sparrows. Sparrow GnIH rapidly (within 2 min) reduced plasma LH when injected into free-living Gambel's white-crowned sparrows on their breeding grounds in northern Alaska. Taken together, our results indicate that, despite amino acid sequence differences, quail GnIH and sparrow GnIH have similar inhibitory effects on the reproductive axis in wild sparrow species. Thus, GnIH appears to be a modulator of gonadotropin release.

Malnutrition during the postnuptial molt of White-crowned Sparrows: feather growth and quality

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 1403-1413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E. Murphy ◽  
James R. King ◽  
Jianjian Lu
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Balanced Diet ◽  
Feather Growth ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii ◽  
The Times ◽  
Ad Libitum Intake ◽  
Time Required

It has often been alleged that avian molt can be interrupted or delayed by food deprivation or malnutrition. We examined this experimentally in captive White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii). Beginning either at the natural onset of postnuptial molt or 1 month before its onset, groups of birds were fed either inadequate amounts of a balanced diet (60 or 80% of the ad libitum intake of a control group) or unlimited amounts of a diet deficient only in cyst(e)ine and methionine. Except in the 60% premolt group, the malnourished birds did not postpone or interrupt molt in spite of losses ranging from 20 to 38% of initial body mass. Molt was significantly protracted in all except the 60% premolt group as a result of both increased shedding interval and decreased feather growth rates. Their new plumage weighed less than that of control birds, and their remiges were slightly shorter and often deformed or achromatic. The occurrence of fault bars corresponded to the times when the birds were handled, but was not correlated with other plumage defects. Surviving birds of the 60% premolt group did not molt until allowed to feed ad libitum, but then produced a normal plumage in about two-thirds of the time required by the controls. To summarize, molt is a very conservative aspect of self maintenance that is distorted only by planes of malnutrition that free-living sparrows either do not encounter during the summer or do not survive.

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