scholarly journals Tick infestation probability increases with human recreational pressure and exploratory behaviour in wild great tits (Parus major)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Rollins ◽  
Alexia Mouchet ◽  
Gabriele Margos ◽  
Volker Fingerle ◽  
Noémie S. Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Exploratory Behaviour ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Tick Population ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Recreational Pressure ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Tick Burden

AbstractTicks are parasites that feed on the blood of various vertebrate hosts, including many species of bird. Birds can disperse ticks over short and long distances, therefore impacting tick population dynamics. The likelihood that birds attract ticks should depend on their behaviour and the environment. We studied various key ecological variables (breeding density, human disturbance) and phenotypic traits (exploratory behaviour; body condition) proposed to predict tick burden in great tits (Parus major). Our study spanned over three years and 12 human-recreated plots, equipped with nest-boxes in southern Germany. Adult breeders were assessed for exploratory behaviour, tick burden, and body condition. For each plot, human disturbance was quantified as a human recreational pressure index during biweekly nest box inspections by scoring the number of recreants using the plots. Infestation probability but not tick burden increased with exploratory behaviour. We also found moderate support for a positive effect of recreational pressure on infestation probability. Further, body condition negatively predicted tick burden. Individuals were repeatable in tick burden across years. Our study implies that infestation probability and tick burden are governed by distinct ecological and phenotypic drivers. Our findings also highlight the importance of incorporating ecological and individual variation in host phenotypes to predict spatiotemporal distributions of ticks in nature.

scholarly journals Repeatable differences in exploratory behaviour predict tick infestation probability in wild great tits

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Rollins ◽  
Alexia Mouchet ◽  
Gabriele Margos ◽  
Lidia Chitimia-Dobler ◽  
Volker Fingerle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Tick Infestation ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Animal Behaviour ◽  
Exploratory Behaviour ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Parasite Infestation ◽  
Tick Burden

Abstract Ecological factors and individual-specific traits affect parasite infestation in wild animals. Ixodid ticks are important ectoparasites of various vertebrate hosts, which include passerine bird species such as the great tit (Parus major). We studied various key ecological variables (breeding density, human disturbance) and phenotypic traits (exploratory behaviour, body condition) proposed to predict tick infestation probability and burden in great tits. Our study spanned 3 years and 12 nest box plots located in southern Germany. Breeding, adult great tits were assessed for exploration behaviour, body condition, and tick burden. Plots were open to human recreation; human disturbance was quantified in each plot as a recreation pressure index from biweekly nest box inspections. Infested individuals were repeatable in tick burden across years. These repeatable among-individual differences in tick burden were not attributable to exploration behaviour. However, faster explorers did have a higher infestation probability. Furthermore, body condition was negatively correlated to tick burden. Recreation pressure was correlated to increased infestation probability, although this relationship was just above the threshold of statistical significance. Our study implies that avian infestation probability and tick burden are each determined by distinct phenotypic traits and ecological factors. Our findings highlight the importance of animal behaviour and human disturbance in understanding variation in tick burden among avian hosts. Significance statement Various abiotic and biotic factors, including personality type, influence tick parasitism in birds, but exactly how all these factors interplay remains unclear. We studied a wild population of great tits over a 3-year period and assessed birds for their exploration behaviour and tick infestation. We found that more explorative great tits were more likely to be infested with ticks. By contrast, faster explorers did not have higher tick burdens. Tick burden was nevertheless moderately repeatable among individuals. Our results imply that animal personality influences the probability of parasite infestation, and that infestation likelihood versus intensity are determined by distinct mechanisms. Our work highlights the importance of animal behaviour to understand parasite infestation in wild populations.

Seasonal feeding activity of the tree-hole tick, Ixodes arboricola

Parasitology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 141 (8) ◽  
pp. 1044-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. A. HEYLEN ◽  
A. R. VAN OOSTEN ◽  
N. DEVRIENDT ◽  
J. ELST ◽  
L. DE BRUYN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Random Pattern ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Tree Hole ◽  
Fast Development ◽  
Tick Transmission ◽  
Ixodes Arboricola

SUMMARYBird-specific ticks do not infest humans and livestock, but these ticks often share their avian hosts with generalist ticks that do. Therefore, their feeding activity may have an impact on the transmission of pathogens outside bird–tick transmission cycles. Here we examined the seasonal feeding activity of the tree-hole tick (Ixodes arboricola) in relation to the activity of its hole-breeding hosts (Parus major and Cyanistes caeruleus). We analysed data on ticks derived from birds, on the abundance of engorged ticks inside nest boxes, and on bird nests that were experimentally exposed to ticks. We observed a non-random pattern of feeding associated with the tick instar and host age. The majority of adult ticks fed on nestlings, while nymphs and larvae fed on both free-flying birds and nestlings. Due to their fast development, some ticks were able to feed twice within the same breeding season. The highest infestation rates in free-flying birds were found during the pre-breeding period and during autumn and winter when birds roost inside cavities. Except during winter, feeding of I. arboricola overlapped in time with the generalist Ixodes ricinus, implying that tick-borne microorganisms that are maintained by I. arboricola and birds could be bridged by I. ricinus to other hosts.

scholarly journals MEKANISME RESPON STRES: KONSEPTUALISASI INTEGRASI ISLAM DAN BARAT

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-61
Author(s):  
Syahidah Rena
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Natural State ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Response Mechanism ◽  
Modern Life ◽  
System Sensitivity ◽  
Psychological Concept ◽  
Natural Reaction ◽  
Positive Effect

Essentially, stress is a prevalent event used to occur. Nowadays, the society experienced stress as an attribute of modern life, since it became an inevitable part of human’s life. Causally, stress appeared as an individual's response to stressors that are perceived as causing threat both internal and external balance disorders.This paper aimed to discuss stress phenomena and individual’s response mechanism to stress based on integrative perspectives of Western and Islam. As a library study, this research used a qualitative approach. Furthermore the study analyzed main sources of literature such as books, journals and various researches related to the topic. This study discovered that good stress/eustress which was explained in western psychological concept would give positive effect such as fostering tough personality was consistent to the message of Qur’an which explained that stress is a natural state in human life.Allah has created human beings having anxiety and complaint as a natural reaction of the body's system sensitivity towards unpleasant things. Within islamic perspective, stress which was organized with positive spirit could turn body condition became better and stronger. 

scholarly journals Predators’ consumption of unpalatable prey does not vary as a function of bitter taste perception

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liisa Hämäläinen ◽  
Johanna Mappes ◽  
Rose Thorogood ◽  
Janne K Valkonen ◽  
Kaijamari Karttunen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Bitter Taste ◽  
Random Sequence ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Taste Perception ◽  
Response Threshold ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Taste Response ◽  
Energetic State ◽  
Prey Defenses

Abstract Many prey species contain defensive chemicals that are described as tasting bitter. Bitter taste perception is, therefore, assumed to be important when predators are learning about prey defenses. However, it is not known how individuals differ in their response to bitter taste, and how this influences their foraging decisions. We conducted taste perception assays in which wild-caught great tits (Parus major) were given water with increasing concentrations of bitter-tasting chloroquine diphosphate until they showed an aversive response to bitter taste. This response threshold was found to vary considerably among individuals, ranging from chloroquine concentrations of 0.01 mmol/L to 8 mmol/L. We next investigated whether the response threshold influenced the consumption of defended prey during avoidance learning by presenting birds with novel palatable and defended prey in a random sequence until they refused to attack defended prey. We predicted that individuals with taste response thresholds at lower concentrations would consume fewer defended prey before rejecting them, but found that the response threshold had no effect on the birds’ foraging choices. Instead, willingness to consume defended prey was influenced by the birds’ body condition. This effect was age- and sex-dependent, with adult males attacking more of the defended prey when their body condition was poor, whereas body condition did not have an effect on the foraging choices of juveniles and females. Together, our results suggest that even though taste perception might be important for recognizing prey toxicity, other factors, such as predators’ energetic state, drive the decisions to consume chemically defended prey.

Winter corticosterone and body condition predict breeding investment in a nonmigratory bird

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1642-1652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloé Montreuil-Spencer ◽  
Kelsey Schoenemann ◽  
Ádám Z Lendvai ◽  
Frances Bonier
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Residual Body ◽  
Life History Stage ◽  
Nonbreeding Season ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
Fat Score

Abstract Reproduction is an energetically demanding life history stage that requires costly physiological and behavioral changes, yet some individuals will invest more into reproduction and breed more successfully than others. To understand variation in reproductive investment, previous studies have evaluated factors during breeding, but conditions outside of this life history stage may also play a role. Using a free-ranging population of black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), we assessed the repeatability of plastic traits relating to energetic condition (circulating initial corticosterone concentrations and body condition) during the nonbreeding season and evaluated whether these traits predicted reproductive investment in the subsequent breeding season. We found that initial corticosterone concentrations and an index of body condition, but not fat score, were moderately repeatable over a 1-week period in winter. This trait repeatability supports the interpretation that among-individual variation in these phenotypic traits could reflect an intrinsic strategy to cope with challenging conditions across life history stages. We found that females with larger fat reserves during winter laid eggs sooner and tended to spend more time incubating their eggs and feeding their offspring. In contrast, we found that females with higher residual body mass delayed breeding, after controlling for the relationship between fat score and timing of breeding. Additionally, females with higher initial corticosterone in winter laid lighter eggs. Our findings suggest that conditions experienced outside of the breeding season may be important factors explaining variation in reproductive investment.

Relationship between Blood Haemoglobin and Glucose Concentrations in Adult Great Tits (Parus Major) and Blue Tits (Cyanistes Caeruleus)

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 152-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Kaliñski ◽  
Mirostawa Bańbura ◽  
Michat Glądalski ◽  
Marcin Markowski ◽  
Joanna Skwarska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Blood Chemistry ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Common Value ◽  
Blood Haemoglobin ◽  
The Common ◽  
Blue Tits

Haematological and blood chemistry variables are widely used in ecophysiological research as physiological indices of body condition in various vertebrate taxa. In this study, we analysed relationships between blood glucose and blood haemoglobin concentrations of adult birds in wild populations of Blue Tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tits ( Parus major) during the breeding season in central Poland. We found that blood glucose and blood haemoglobin concentrations are negatively correlated. We also show that individual Blue Tits have higher mean haemoglobin levels adjusted for the common value of glucose concentration than individual Great Tits and that females of both species have higher mean haemoglobin concentrations than males. Our results suggest that haematological as well as biochemical variables may be used in tune as complementary indices of body condition in wild bird populations.

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND DOMINANCE IN AVIARY GROUPS OF GREAT TITS

Behaviour ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica E.M. Verbeek ◽  
Piet Drent ◽  
Piet De Goede ◽  
Piet Wiepkema
Keyword(s):  
Parus Major ◽  
Exploratory Behaviour ◽  
Juvenile Male ◽  
Behavioural Characteristics ◽  
Gradual Development ◽  
Dominance Score ◽  
Simple Pair ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Fighting Behaviour

In previous work we have shown that juvenile male great tits Parus major show consistent behavioural differences in exploratory and aggressive behaviour. Fast and superficial explorers (FE) won from slow and thorough explorers (SE) during controlled pair-wise confrontations in small cages. The present study assesses the relationship between early exploratory behaviour and later dominance in aviary groups of juvenile male great tits; such groups might approach natural conditions better than 'simple' pair-wise confrontations. Observations of nine aviary groups showed that a stable hierarchy is only established after a first dynamic phase of several days with many dominance shifts and a peak in number of interactions. In seven other aviary groups we determined the dominance relationships between FE and SE. In a stable hierarchy, SE had on average a significantly higher dominance score than FE. This finding contrasts our previous results in pair-wise confrontations. However, on the first day in the aviary, FE had on average a higher dominance score and initiated more fights than SE. This agrees with our previous results and indicates a gradual development of the situation in the stable hierarchy. Behavioural observations indicate that during this development, FE took more risks in their fighting behaviour and had more difficulty to cope with defeat than SE. In the stable hierarchy they either won or lost from all SE. SE were more cautious and had intermediate dominance scores in the stable hierarchy. These differences in fighting behaviour and the role of individual differences in exploratory behaviour and in coping with defeat are discussed as possible causes for the unexpected results of this study.

Exploration, Aggressive Behaviour and Dominance in Pair-Wise Confrontations of Juvenile Male Great Tits

Behaviour ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 133 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 945-963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica E.M. Verbeek ◽  
Anne Boon ◽  
Piet J. Drent
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Exploratory Behaviour ◽  
Juvenile Male ◽  
Coping With Stress ◽  
Passive Coping ◽  
Behavioural Characteristics ◽  
Set Up

In the development of social dominance, constitutional behavioural characteristics may play an important role apart from morphological traits. Previous work has shown that juvenile male great tits Parus major differ consistently in their early exploratory behaviour and can be classified as fast and superficial explorers or slow and thorough explorers. This study investigated whether these individual differences in exploratory behaviour are related to aggressive behaviour, and whether this affects dominance. In an experimental set-up, pair-wise fights were observed. The obtained data were corrected for possible influences of morphological traits. Consistent individual differences in aggressive behaviour were found, indicating that juvenile great tits can be characterised by that behaviour. Fast explorers started more fights than slow explorers, and birds that started more fights also won more fights. An additional experiment with pairs of fast and slow explorers confirmed that fast explorers won more fights than slow explorers. In conclusion, we demonstrated that individual differences in exploratory behaviour are related to aggressive behaviour, which affects dominance. The striking agreement of these findings with studies of rodents and pigs is discussed. It is suggested that the behaviour of fast explorers agrees with an active style of coping with stress, while the behaviour of the slow explorers resembles a passive coping style.

Temporal dynamics of emergence and dispersal of garter snakes from a communal den in Manitoba

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Shine ◽  
T. Langkilde ◽  
M. Wall ◽  
R. T. Mason
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Behavioural Ecology ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Garter Snakes ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Variation ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

Although garter snakes at communal overwintering dens on the Canadian prairies have attracted considerable behavioural ecology research, previous studies have relied upon sampling of active animals to describe broad patterns of distribution and abundance of snakes within the den population. We conducted a mark–recapture study to directly quantify temporal and spatial variation in the phenotypic traits (sex, size, body condition) of snakes at the den itself, and those dispersing through woodland 50 m away. Captures of 909 snakes on the days they emerged, and 6653 snakes as they dispersed, revealed massive spatiotemporal heterogeneity in phenotypic traits among samples. Day-to-day variation in weather conditions affected numbers and sex ratios of emerging and dispersing snakes; for example, small females dispersed in greater numbers after unusually cold nights, when harassment by courting males was reduced. Most snakes stayed at the den only briefly (<5 days) prior to dispersal, so that sampling at the den itself (the only evidence available from most previous studies) underestimates the number of animals in the population, as well as the proportions of females, of small adult males and of juvenile animals. Overall, the heterogeneous and temporally dynamic distributions of phenotypic traits (such as sex and size) among our samples are predictable on the basis of the central roles of male–male competition and sexual conflict in the mating system of these snakes. Surprisingly, however, many of the snakes that overwinter at this den play no part in den-based breeding aggregations

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document