Assessment of Heavy Metal Residues in Excreta of Rock Pigeon (Columba Livia) and Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia Domestica) in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

Pollution is the main cause that effects the environment in a degradable condition. For the presence of heavy metals in the atmosphere birds are considered as tremendous bio indicator. Blue pigeon and domestic pigeon (Coloumba livia) of Faisalabad are selected to examine the level of heavy metals including Manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), Cobalt (Co), lead (Pb) cadmium (Cd) and Copper (Cu) in several tissues such as (heart, lungs, bones, muscles and feathers. Six adult birds were collected rural, urban and residential and traffic areas of Faisalabad. After collection of sample fresh weight will be measured of each sample, then digestion of sample was done by conventional acid digestion method and digested samples were analyzed in the lab by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer for the determination of heavy metals. It was concluded that accumulation of heavy metals in the birds depends upon the environmental conditions. Our result showed that concentration of heavy metals more in rock pigeon as compared to domestic pigeon which may be due to more exposure of industrial waste to rock pigeon. It has inferred from our study that high concentration of heavy metals in the excreta of rock pigeon was due to its high trophic level in food chain.

Diet specialization in an insular population of coastal Peregrine Falcons

Individual diet specialization is known to occur in populations of generalist predators, where specific individuals develop specialist feeding strategies. Diet specialization has been reported in many raptor species, and it may be an important driver of intraspecific population structure. Here, we quantify the diet of five breeding pairs of Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus from an offshore island determined from prey remains collected over four breeding seasons. Three prey species accounted for 69.8 % of total prey frequency, with Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus the primary prey accounting for 47.3 % by frequency and 40.8 % by biomass. Herring Gull Larus argentatus was the second most important prey species by frequency (13.8 %) and biomass (29.8 %) followed by Domestic Pigeon Columba livia (frequency = 8.7 %, biomass = 7.0 %). Predation frequency on specific prey groups varied substantially between breeding pairs and months. Two pairs specialized on Manx Shearwater, one pair specialized on Herring Gull and Manx Shearwater, with the remaining two pairs having a relatively generalist diet of Manx Shearwaters, Domestic Pigeon and small passerines. Predation on Manx Shearwaters increased throughout the breeding season with a peak in total diet frequency of 63.8 % in July, with a concurrent decrease in Herring Gull predation frequency. Higher percentage of Manx Shearwater in the diet was able to explain 87 % of the variation in a narrower dietary breadth for the Peregrine pairs. Our results suggest individual diet specialization may be important for understanding population density in insular raptor populations.

Two Genomic Loci Control Three Eye Colors in the Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

The iris of the eye shows striking color variation across vertebrate species, and may play important roles in crypsis and communication. The domestic pigeon (Columba livia) has three common iris colors, orange, pearl (white), and bull (dark brown), segregating in a single species, thereby providing a unique opportunity to identify the genetic basis of iris coloration. We used comparative genomics and genetic mapping in laboratory crosses to identify two candidate genes that control variation in iris color in domestic pigeons. We identified a nonsense mutation in the solute carrier SLC2A11B that is shared among all pigeons with pearl eye color, and a locus associated with bull eye color that includes EDNRB2, a gene involved in neural crest migration and pigment development. However, bull eye is likely controlled by a heterogeneous collection of alleles across pigeon breeds. We also found that the EDNRB2 region is associated with regionalized plumage depigmentation (piebalding). Our study identifies two candidate genes for eye colors variation, and establishes a genetic link between iris and plumage color, two traits that vary widely in the evolution of birds and other vertebrates.

Management and treatment procedure of windpuff caused by lice infestation in domestic pigeon: A case report

A rare case of windpuff was diagnosed in 7 months old two domestic pigeons due to itching and scratching with inanimate objects caused by lice infestation reported in Begumganj upazila hospital, Noakhali district, Bangladesh. This is the first case of domestic pigeon recorded in Bangladesh and the aim of this case study is to determine the causal agent, treatment and management procedure of windpuff. Parasitological examination of feathers revealed the presence of Columbicola columbae, a dorso-ventrally flattened biting type louse. Using needle puncture was able to release the ballooning condition and the pigeons were treated with antimicrobial drug (Enrofloxacin @10mg/kg body weight) through drinking water along with multivitamin and ectoparasiticidal drug (Ivermectin @0.4mg/kg body weight). Both the pigeon was successfully recovered without any further complications within four days.

Prevalence of coccidia in domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica Gmelin, 1789) in Benghazi city, Libya

Pigeon coccidiosis is caused by Eimeria spp; a protozoan parasite which limits birds’ productivity by causing severe illness. The current study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of coccidiosis on domestic pigeon in Libya. Intestinal contents of 100 pigeons (Columba livia domestica Gmelin, 1789) were collected within a period of five months; January to May 2020. The intestinal content was examined to detect of coccidian oocysts infection on the randomly selected birds. A total of 100 faecal samples were investigated with two methods;Willis-Schaafs (qualitative) and McMaster’s (quantitative). The results obtained showed that the number of infected Pigeons was 72 pigeons (72%) of the total number of Pigeons. The prevalence was higher in female than that of males, where the total of infected females was 50 (69.4 %) and infected males was 22 (30.6%). The results showed that the highest incidence of Eimeria labbeana was observed in the young pigeons than that of adults, where the total number of young pigeons was 66 (91.7 %), and adult pigeon was 6 (8.3 %).

Two Genomic Loci Control Three Eye Colors in the Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia)

ABSTRACTThe iris of the eye shows striking color variation across vertebrate species, and may play important roles in crypsis and communication. The domestic pigeon (Columba livia) has three common iris colors, orange, pearl (white), and bull (dark brown), segregating in a single species, thereby providing a unique opportunity to identify the genetic basis of iris coloration. We used comparative genomics and genetic mapping in laboratory crosses to identify two candidate genes that control variation in iris color in domestic pigeons. We identified a nonsense mutation in the solute carrier SLC2A11B that is shared among all pigeons with pearl eye color, and a locus associated with bull eye color that includes EDNRB2, a gene involved in neural crest migration and pigment development. However, bull eye is likely controlled by a heterogeneous collection of alleles across pigeon breeds. We also found that the EDNRB2 region is associated with regionalized plumage depigmentation (piebalding). Our results establish a genetic link between iris and plumage color, two traits that were long known by pigeon breeders to co-occur, and demonstrate the importance of gene duplicates in establishing possibilities and constraints in the evolution of color and color pattern among vertebrates.