Cardinalis cardinalis: BirdLife International

AbstractArthropod vectors are frequently exposed to a diverse assemblage of parasites, but the consequence of these infections on their biology and behavior are poorly understood. We experimentally evaluated whether the ingestion of a common protozoan parasite of avian hosts (Haemoproteus spp.; Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) impacted the survivorship of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae). Blood was collected from wild northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) in College Station, Texas, and screened for the presence of Haemoproteus spp. parasites using microscopic and molecular methods. Experimental groups of Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were offered Haemoproteus-positive cardinal blood through an artificial feeding apparatus, while control groups received Haemoproteus-negative cardinal blood or domestic canary (Serinus canaria domestica) blood. Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes exposed to Haemoproteus infected cardinal blood survived significantly fewer days than mosquitoes that ingested Haemoproteus-negative cardinal blood. The survival of mosquitoes fed on positive cardinal blood had a median survival time of 18 days post-exposure and the survival of mosquitoes fed on negative cardinal blood exceeded 50% across the 30 day observation period. Additionally, mosquitoes that fed on canary controls survived significantly fewer days than cardinal negative controls, with canary control mosquitoes having a median survival time of 17 days. This study further supports prior observations that Haemoproteus parasites can be pathogenic to bird-biting mosquitoes, and suggests that Haemoproteus parasites may indirectly suppress the transmission of co-circulating vector-borne pathogens by modulating vector survivorship. Our results also suggest that even in the absence of parasite infection, bloodmeals from different bird species can influence mosquito survivorship.

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Snake behavior and seasonal variation in nest survival of northern cardinals Cardinalis cardinalis

Journal of Avian Biology ◽

10.1111/j.1600-048x.2012.05632.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 496-502 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Jinelle H. Sperry ◽

Douglas G. Barron ◽

Patrick J. Weatherhead

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Variation ◽

Nest Survival ◽

Cardinalis Cardinalis ◽

Northern Cardinals

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Defensive responses of larval Manduca sexta and their sensitization by noxious stimuli in the laboratory and field

Journal of Experimental Biology ◽

10.1242/jeb.204.3.457 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 204 (3) ◽

pp. 457-469 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

E. Walters ◽

P. Illich ◽

J. Weeks ◽

M. Lewin

Keyword(s):

Manduca Sexta ◽

Noxious Stimulation ◽

Cardinalis Cardinalis ◽

Nociceptive Sensitization ◽

Defensive Responses ◽

Noxious Stimuli ◽

Noxious Mechanical Stimulation ◽

Anterior Segments ◽

Low Amplitude ◽

Withdrawal Response

Sensitization of defensive responses following noxious stimulation occurs in diverse species, but no demonstration of nociceptive sensitization in insects has been reported. A set of defensive behavior patterns in larval Manduca sexta is described and shown to undergo sensitization following noxious mechanical stimulation. The striking response is a rapid bending that accurately propels the head towards sharply poking or pinching stimuli applied to most abdominal segments. The strike is accompanied by opening of the mandibles and, sometimes, regurgitation. The strike may function to dislodge small attackers and startle larger predators. When the same stimuli are applied to anterior segments, the head is pulled away in a withdrawal response. Noxious stimuli to anterior or posterior segments can evoke a transient withdrawal (cocking) that precedes a strike towards the source of stimulation and may function to maximize the velocity of the strike. More intense noxious stimuli evoke faster, larger strikes and may also elicit thrashing, which consists of large, cyclic, side-to-side movements that are not directed at any target. These are sometimes also associated with low-amplitude quivering cycles. Striking and thrashing sequences elicited by obvious wounding are sometimes followed by grooming-like behavior. Very young larvae also show locomotor responses to noxious stimuli. Observations in the field of attacks on M. sexta larvae by Cardinalis cardinalis, an avian predator, suggest that thrashing decreases the success of a bird in biting a larva. In the laboratory, noxious stimulation was found to produce two forms of sensitization. Repeated pinching of prolegs produces incremental sensitization, with later pinches evoking more strikes than the first pinch. Brisk pinching or poking of prolegs also produces conventional sensitization, in which weak test stimuli delivered to another site evoke more strikes following noxious stimulation. The degree and duration of sensitization increase with more intense noxious stimulation. The most intense stimulus sequences were found to enhance strike frequency for approximately 60 min. Nociceptive sensitization generalizes to sites distant from sites of noxious stimulation, suggesting that it involves a general, but transient, arousal of defensive responses. http://www.biologists.com/JEB/movies/jeb3271.html

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De Novo Assembly of the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Genome Reveals Candidate Regulatory Regions for Sexually Dichromatic Red Plumage Coloration

G3 Genes|Genome|Genetics ◽

10.1534/g3.120.401373 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 3541-3548

Author(s):

Simon Yung Wa Sin ◽

Lily Lu ◽

Scott V. Edwards

Keyword(s):

De Novo ◽

Draft Genome ◽

Single Copy ◽

Genomic Region ◽

Plumage Coloration ◽

Sexual Dichromatism ◽

Effective Population ◽

Cardinalis Cardinalis ◽

Northern Cardinal ◽

Genomic Studies

Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are common, mid-sized passerines widely distributed in North America. As an iconic species with strong sexual dichromatism, it has been the focus of extensive ecological and evolutionary research, yet genomic studies investigating the evolution of genotype–phenotype association of plumage coloration and dichromatism are lacking. Here we present a new, highly-contiguous assembly for C. cardinalis. We generated a 1.1 Gb assembly comprised of 4,762 scaffolds, with a scaffold N50 of 3.6 Mb, a contig N50 of 114.4 kb and a longest scaffold of 19.7 Mb. We identified 93.5% complete and single-copy orthologs from an Aves dataset using BUSCO, demonstrating high completeness of the genome assembly. We annotated the genomic region comprising the CYP2J19 gene, which plays a pivotal role in the red coloration in birds. Comparative analyses demonstrated non-exonic regions unique to the CYP2J19 gene in passerines and a long insertion upstream of the gene in C. cardinalis. Transcription factor binding motifs discovered in the unique insertion region in C. cardinalis suggest potential androgen-regulated mechanisms underlying sexual dichromatism. Pairwise Sequential Markovian Coalescent (PSMC) analysis of the genome reveals fluctuations in historic effective population size between 100,000–250,000 in the last 2 millions years, with declines concordant with the beginning of the Pleistocene epoch and Last Glacial Period. This draft genome of C. cardinalis provides an important resource for future studies of ecological, evolutionary, and functional genomics in cardinals and other birds.

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