Lower survival probability of house sparrows severely infected by the gapeworm parasite

Holand, Håkon; Jensen, Henrik; Tufto, Jarle; Soliman, Mohamed A.; Pärn, Henrik; Sæther, Bernt‐Erik; Ringsby, Thor Harald

doi:10.1111/jav.00354

Cited by 11 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 60 publications

(89 reference statements)

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“…The study was carried out on the island of Hestmannøy (N 66° 33 00 E 12° 51 00), located in the Helgeland archipelago northern Norway (described in previous studies [ 20 , 21 ]). Since 1993, house sparrows on Hestmannøy and the surrounding islands have been systematically captured, marked and reencountered several times during their lifetime (e.g.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As described in detail previously [ 20 , 21 ], the nematode worm S . trachea has a global distribution and has been found in a majority of terrestrial bird genera [ 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…individual body mass accounting for the skeletal body size. Variation in measurements among fieldworkers was accounted for by obtaining a relationship between each individual fieldworker and the most experienced fieldworker by using general linear regression techniques (see [ 20 , 21 , 31 , 32 ] for detailed description of field work). In addition we visited nests at least once per week and counted the number of eggs and chicks and their age.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Endoparasite Infection Has Both Short- and Long-Term Negative Effects on Reproductive Success of Female House Sparrows, as Revealed by Faecal Parasitic Egg Counts

et al. 2015

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Parasites have the potential to severely reduce host reproductive success. However, the effects of endoparasites on reproductive success have not received the same amount of attention as the effects of parasites on host survival. We investigated the relationship between an avian endoparasite (gapeworm, Syngamus trachea) and both current and future reproductive success of female house sparrows (Passer domesticus) in a population on the coast of Helgeland, northern Norway. We found that the proportion of eggs in a nest that failed to develop into fledglings increased as the faecal parasitic egg count of the mothers increased. We also found that juvenile females with high numbers of parasitic eggs in their faeces had lower lifetime reproductive success as adults. However, we did not find a relationship between maternal parasite infection and clutch size or recruitment rate of offspring. To our knowledge this is the first study to find a relationship between reproductive success of an avian host and faecal egg count of an endoparasite. The present study indicates that infection by an endoparasite may be associated with lower individual reproductive success in both the short-term and long-term in a wild population of hosts.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As described in detail previously [ 20 , 21 ], the nematode worm S . trachea has a global distribution and has been found in a majority of terrestrial bird genera [ 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Endoparasite Infection Has Both Short- and Long-Term Negative Effects on Reproductive Success of Female House Sparrows, as Revealed by Faecal Parasitic Egg Counts

et al. 2015

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“…Regarding the postmortem findings, the mechanical irritation caused by parasites in the tracheal lumen was probably the cause of clinical manifestations involving the respiratory tract [12] of the animal, which were characterized by dyspnea and sneezing. Petechial hemorrhages, increased mucus production within the trachea, and paleness of the visible mucosa are alterations probably caused by traumatic action and the hematophagous habit of the nematode in the bird's trachea [17,22].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Syngamosis has been reported in Galliformes [7,8,12] and raptors, however, the description of parasitosis in Psittacidae species is not found. Thus, the objective of this work was to report an occurrence of Syngamus trachea in Ara ararauna.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Parasitism by Syngamus trachea in Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)

Paula

Silva

Hirano

et al. 2018

Acta Scientiae. Vet.

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Background: Ara ararauna is widely distributed in South America and frequently affected by anthropogenic activities and environmental pressures such as illegal bird trafficking, and habitat loss. Also some endoparasites can threaten their health, and cause their death, or prevent the reintroduction of the animal to its natural environment. The objective of the present work was to report the occurrence of parasitism by Syngamus trachea in an Ara ararauna.Case: An adult, 900-gram female Ara ararauna from a project for the rehabilitation of the Brazilian fauna was kept in a collective nursery together with 12 specimens of the same species. Their diet was composed of typical fruits of the region, which were offered twice a day, and water ad libitum. The macaws had no previous history of anthelmintic treatment. The specimen evaluated presented progressive weight loss, constant sneezing, and reduced appetite for seven days. During physical examination the animal presented apathy, lethargy, spiked feathers, body condition score of 1/4, frequent sneezing, and inspiratory dyspnea. After this examination, the bird died, and the necropsy was performed. The postmortem findings were pale periocular, oral, and cloacal mucosae, cachexia, and presence of parasites of round shape, reddish color, with length of approximately 0.5 cm, in the proximal portion of the trachea. Another parasite with the same characteristics, but smaller in size, showing Y shape was found in the body. The trachea also showed colorless mucus and petechial hemorrhages in the proximal and middle portions of the mucosa. These parasites were subjected to morphological analysis in the Laboratory of Microscopy of the University Center of Triângulo and were identified as Syngamus trachea.Discussion: The diagnosis was based on morphological analysis of the parasite. This parasite can be transmitted through infected worms, which are paratenic hosts of S. trachea. Chickens may also be parasitized by S. trachea; consequently, they may have contributed to the dispersion of eggs of S. trachea in the environment, since they had free access to the entire rural property. There is a positive correlation between parasitism by S. trachea and body condition loss in other bird species that may be connected to the lowering of its feed conversion and food consumption. The mechanical irritation caused by parasites in the tracheal lumen was probably the cause of the clinical manifestations involving the respiratory tract, which were characterized by dyspnea and sneezing. Moreover, petechial hemorrhages, increased mucus production within the trachea, and paleness of the visible mucosa are alterations probably caused by traumatic action and the hematophagous habit of the nematode in the trachea of the bird. Climatic and soil conditions can favor the maintenance of S. trachea eggs and larvae and the permanence of the verminosis in the environment. Therefore, a strict sanitary control of the animals in conservation projects is necessary, with a routine of coproparasitological examinations. Although the actual epidemiological status of endoparasites in free-living Ara ararauna is unknown, deworming protocols for birds intended for release in natural environments are different from those used in specimens under observation. Birds that will return to free life receive antiparasites only in cases of clinical symptomatology associated with positive tests of verminoses to maintain the natural resistance of the birds to the parasites found in their natural environment. The results of this report, showing the occurrence of infection of Ara ararauna by Syngamus trachea denotes the importance of periodic coproparasitological exams.

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Long‐distance dispersal in the short‐distance dispersing house sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Ranke,

Pepke,

Søraker

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a small passerine known to be highly sedentary. Throughout a 30‐year capture–mark–recapture study, we have obtained occasional reports of recoveries far outside our main metapopulation study system, documenting unusually long dispersal distances. Our records constitute the highest occurrence of long‐distance dispersal events recorded for this species in Scandinavia. Such long‐distance dispersals radically change the predicted distribution of dispersal distances and connectedness for our study metapopulation. Moreover, it reveals a much greater potential for colonization than formerly recorded for the house sparrow, which is an invasive species across four continents. These rare and occasional long‐distance dispersal events are challenging to document but may have important implications for the genetic composition of small and isolated populations and for our understanding of dispersal ecology and evolution.

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Lower survival probability of house sparrows severely infected by the gapeworm parasite

Cited by 11 publications

References 60 publications

Endoparasite Infection Has Both Short- and Long-Term Negative Effects on Reproductive Success of Female House Sparrows, as Revealed by Faecal Parasitic Egg Counts

Endoparasite Infection Has Both Short- and Long-Term Negative Effects on Reproductive Success of Female House Sparrows, as Revealed by Faecal Parasitic Egg Counts

Parasitism by Syngamus trachea in Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)

Long‐distance dispersal in the short‐distance dispersing house sparrow (Passer domesticus)

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