Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The association between haemosporidian infection and non-breeding moult location in great reed warblers revisited by combining feather stable isotope profiles and geolocator data

Procházka, Petr ; Emmenegger, Tamara LU orcid ; Bauer, Silke ; Ciloglu, Arif LU ; Dimitrov, Dimitar ; Hansson, Bengt LU orcid ; Hasselquist, Dennis LU ; Yohannes, Elizabeth ; Zehtindjiev, Pavel and Bensch, Staffan LU orcid (2024) In Oecologia 204. p.107-118
Abstract

Stable isotope analysis provides valuable insights into the ecology of long-distance migratory birds during periods spent away from a specific study site. In a previous study, Swedish great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) infected with haemosporidian parasites differed in feather isotope ratios compared to non-infected birds, suggesting that infected and non-infected birds spent the non-breeding season in different locations or habitats. Here, we use a novel dataset comprising geolocator data, isotopes, and haemosporidian infection status of 92 individuals from four Eurasian populations to investigate whether parasite transmission varies with geography or habitats. We found that the probability of harbouring Plasmodium and... (More)

Stable isotope analysis provides valuable insights into the ecology of long-distance migratory birds during periods spent away from a specific study site. In a previous study, Swedish great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) infected with haemosporidian parasites differed in feather isotope ratios compared to non-infected birds, suggesting that infected and non-infected birds spent the non-breeding season in different locations or habitats. Here, we use a novel dataset comprising geolocator data, isotopes, and haemosporidian infection status of 92 individuals from four Eurasian populations to investigate whether parasite transmission varies with geography or habitats. We found that the probability of harbouring Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon parasites was higher in birds moulting in the eastern region of the non-breeding grounds. However, no geographic pattern occurred for Haemoproteus infections or overall infection status. In contrast to the previous study, we did not find any relationship between feather isotope ratios and overall haemosporidian infection for the entire current dataset. Plasmodium-infected birds had lower feather δ 15N values indicating that they occupied more mesic habitats. Leucocytozoon-infected birds had higher feather δ 34S values suggesting more coastal sites or wetlands with anoxic sulphate reduction. As the composition and prevalence of haemosporidian parasites differed between the old and the current dataset, we suggest that the differences might be a consequence of temporal dynamics of haemosporidian parasites. Our results emphasize the importance of replicating studies conducted on a single population over a restricted time period, as the patterns can become more complex for data from wider geographical areas and different time periods.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Avian malaria, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium, Transmission areas
in
Oecologia
volume
204
pages
12 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:38141067
  • scopus:85180504528
ISSN
0029-8549
DOI
10.1007/s00442-023-05491-x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c71ed65e-7fc3-4b92-ab53-c14b728197bd
date added to LUP
2025-01-15 14:43:53
date last changed
2025-07-03 05:04:13
@article{c71ed65e-7fc3-4b92-ab53-c14b728197bd,
  abstract     = {{<p>Stable isotope analysis provides valuable insights into the ecology of long-distance migratory birds during periods spent away from a specific study site. In a previous study, Swedish great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) infected with haemosporidian parasites differed in feather isotope ratios compared to non-infected birds, suggesting that infected and non-infected birds spent the non-breeding season in different locations or habitats. Here, we use a novel dataset comprising geolocator data, isotopes, and haemosporidian infection status of 92 individuals from four Eurasian populations to investigate whether parasite transmission varies with geography or habitats. We found that the probability of harbouring Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon parasites was higher in birds moulting in the eastern region of the non-breeding grounds. However, no geographic pattern occurred for Haemoproteus infections or overall infection status. In contrast to the previous study, we did not find any relationship between feather isotope ratios and overall haemosporidian infection for the entire current dataset. Plasmodium-infected birds had lower feather δ <sup>15</sup>N values indicating that they occupied more mesic habitats. Leucocytozoon-infected birds had higher feather δ <sup>34</sup>S values suggesting more coastal sites or wetlands with anoxic sulphate reduction. As the composition and prevalence of haemosporidian parasites differed between the old and the current dataset, we suggest that the differences might be a consequence of temporal dynamics of haemosporidian parasites. Our results emphasize the importance of replicating studies conducted on a single population over a restricted time period, as the patterns can become more complex for data from wider geographical areas and different time periods.</p>}},
  author       = {{Procházka, Petr and Emmenegger, Tamara and Bauer, Silke and Ciloglu, Arif and Dimitrov, Dimitar and Hansson, Bengt and Hasselquist, Dennis and Yohannes, Elizabeth and Zehtindjiev, Pavel and Bensch, Staffan}},
  issn         = {{0029-8549}},
  keywords     = {{Avian malaria; Haemoproteus; Leucocytozoon; Plasmodium; Transmission areas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{107--118}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Oecologia}},
  title        = {{The association between haemosporidian infection and non-breeding moult location in great reed warblers revisited by combining feather stable isotope profiles and geolocator data}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00442-023-05491-x}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00442-023-05491-x}},
  volume       = {{204}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}