Within- and between-brood variations in haemosporidian infections of nestlings reveal complex host–vector–parasite relationships
George, Anna LU ; Aastrup, Christian ; Emmenegger, Tamara LU
and Hegemann, Arne
LU
(2026)
In Journal of Ornithology
167(3).
p.803-816
- Abstract
Avian blood parasites are vector-transmitted protozoan parasites and common in wild birds. They cause acute and chronic infections at different life stages with potentially detrimental effects on host fitness. Transmission often happens during the nestling period, when biting dipterans have easy access to featherless skin. However, little is known about patterns of infection within and between broods. Therefore, we investigated prevalence of haemosporidians (Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) nestlings over four non-consecutive years. Prevalence varied by year, averaged at 33.9%, with Leucocytozoon being the most prevalent genus. We found no links between infection and morphometry, nor with sex or... (More)
Avian blood parasites are vector-transmitted protozoan parasites and common in wild birds. They cause acute and chronic infections at different life stages with potentially detrimental effects on host fitness. Transmission often happens during the nestling period, when biting dipterans have easy access to featherless skin. However, little is known about patterns of infection within and between broods. Therefore, we investigated prevalence of haemosporidians (Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) nestlings over four non-consecutive years. Prevalence varied by year, averaged at 33.9%, with Leucocytozoon being the most prevalent genus. We found no links between infection and morphometry, nor with sex or hatching date, at the population level. However, at the brood level, among female nestlings, those with shorter tarsi were more likely to be infected than female siblings with longer tarsi. Infection probability was positively correlated with brood size at the brood level, but not at the individual level. Finally, more broods were partially infected than fully infected or uninfected. Thus, the observed patterns in prevalence were manifold, indicating that haemosporidian infections, caused by bites of vectors, are influenced by various factors in this host–vector-parasite system.
(Less)
- author
- George, Anna
LU
; Aastrup, Christian
; Emmenegger, Tamara
LU
and Hegemann, Arne
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-07
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Avian malaria, Haemosporidia, Host–parasite interaction, Life history, Ontogeny
- in
- Journal of Ornithology
- volume
- 167
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 14 pages
- publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105041082556
- pmid:42421886
- ISSN
- 2193-7192
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10336-026-02417-1
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ccc9aeca-b8fa-4c22-be25-dff63640d7fd
- date added to LUP
- 2026-09-21 15:01:23
- date last changed
- 2026-09-22 03:25:23
@article{ccc9aeca-b8fa-4c22-be25-dff63640d7fd,
abstract = {{<p>Avian blood parasites are vector-transmitted protozoan parasites and common in wild birds. They cause acute and chronic infections at different life stages with potentially detrimental effects on host fitness. Transmission often happens during the nestling period, when biting dipterans have easy access to featherless skin. However, little is known about patterns of infection within and between broods. Therefore, we investigated prevalence of haemosporidians (Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) nestlings over four non-consecutive years. Prevalence varied by year, averaged at 33.9%, with Leucocytozoon being the most prevalent genus. We found no links between infection and morphometry, nor with sex or hatching date, at the population level. However, at the brood level, among female nestlings, those with shorter tarsi were more likely to be infected than female siblings with longer tarsi. Infection probability was positively correlated with brood size at the brood level, but not at the individual level. Finally, more broods were partially infected than fully infected or uninfected. Thus, the observed patterns in prevalence were manifold, indicating that haemosporidian infections, caused by bites of vectors, are influenced by various factors in this host–vector-parasite system.</p>}},
author = {{George, Anna and Aastrup, Christian and Emmenegger, Tamara and Hegemann, Arne}},
issn = {{2193-7192}},
keywords = {{Avian malaria; Haemosporidia; Host–parasite interaction; Life history; Ontogeny}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{803--816}},
publisher = {{Springer Science and Business Media B.V.}},
series = {{Journal of Ornithology}},
title = {{Within- and between-brood variations in haemosporidian infections of nestlings reveal complex host–vector–parasite relationships}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10336-026-02417-1}},
doi = {{10.1007/s10336-026-02417-1}},
volume = {{167}},
year = {{2026}},
}