Association between movement patterns, microbiome diversity, and potential pathogen presence in free-ranging feral pigeons foraging in dairy farms

Abstract

The feedback between host behavior and disease transmission is well acknowledged, but empirical studies demonstrating associations between individual's pathogens or microbiota composition and their movement are rare. We investigated these associations in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica), a synanthrope species known to host a plethora of zoonotic pathogens. We captured pigeons in three dairy farms along an urbanization gradient in central Israel. We combined GPS-tracking with Next Generation Sequencing to characterize pigeons' movement and microbiota, respectively. We found that pigeons roosted primarily in human settlements, with frequent visits to dairy farms and other agricultural sites. Microbiota diversity and composition varied between sites and the individuals within them, and several pathogens relevant to poultry, cattle, and human-health were frequently detected. Pigeons in the urban site covered shorter distances and carried a greater diversity of bacteria compared to those in rural sites. Intriguingly, beyond these among-site differences, exploratory individuals (measured by the number of unique locations they visited) had more diverse microbiota. We conclude that pigeons can potentially serve as transmission vectors among wildlife, livestock, and humans. Further, the associations between host behavior and microbiota diversity emphasize the relevance of wildlife movement analyses for disease ecology and One Health.