Search results for "migratory birds"
showing 10 items of 11 documents
The migratory birds: novel ecological niche of fungal diversity?
2015
Francesca et al (2010) studied the ecology of wine yeasts associated to birds caught in vineyards. The same authors were able to prove that migratory birds might carry living pro-technological yeasts for about 12 hours from the ingestion of inoculated feed (Francesca et al 2012). In subsequent studies, they tried to demonstrate that microorganisms are not only transported for a short period by birds, but microorganisms might be adapted to the specific conditions (body temperature about 42 °C and low pH) of the intestinal tract of birds. Hence, it was demonstrated that the majority of isolates carried by birds are thermotolerant. The most interesting results were the isolation of two new spe…
Effects of food abundance and early clutch predation on reproductive timing in a high Arctic shorebird exposed to advancements in arthropod abundance.
2016
12 pages; International audience; Climate change may influence the phenology of organisms unequally across trophic levels and thus lead to phenological mismatches between predators and prey. In cases where prey availability peaks before reproducing predators reach maximal prey demand, any negative fitness consequences would selectively favor resynchronization by earlier starts of the reproductive activities of the predators. At a study site in northeast Greenland, over a period of 17 years, the median emergence of the invertebrate prey of Sanderling Calidris alba advanced with 1.27 days per year. Yet, over the same period Sanderling did not advance hatching date. Thus, Sanderlings increasin…
Host dispersal shapes the population structure of a tick-borne bacterial pathogen
2020
Birds are hosts for several zoonotic pathogens. Because of their high mobility, especially of longdistance migrants, birds can disperse these pathogens, affecting their distribution and phylogeography. We focused on Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which includes the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis, as an example for tick-borne pathogens, to address the role of birds as propagation hosts of zoonotic agents at a large geographical scale. We collected ticks from passerine birds in 11 European countries. B. burgdorferi s.l. prevalence in Ixodes spp. was 37% and increased with latitude. The fieldfare Turdus pilaris and the blackbird T. merula carried ticks with the highest Borrelia prevale…
The Wine: typicality or mere diversity? The effect of spontaneous fermentations and biotic factors on the characteristics of wine
2016
Abstract Wine is probably one of the main fermented beverages for which the recognition of the “territoriality” is fundamental for its appreciation. The sensory profile of wine is significantly affected by microbial activities, and indigenous microorganisms may significantly contribute to the expression of wine typicality. The microbial ecology of wines is complex and includes several species and strains of yeasts, bacteria and molds. Several works showed the positive effects of spontaneous fermentations on the quality of wine as a consequence of the growth of different species and/or strains together at high levels. Furthermore, a new style of “natural” winemaking is gaining importance, si…
Phenological sensitivity to climate change is higher in resident than in migrant bird populations among European cavity breeders
2018
Many organisms adjust their reproductive phenology in response to climate change, but phenological sensitivity to temperature may vary between species. For example, resident and migratory birds have vastly different annual cycles, which can cause differential temperature sensitivity at the breeding grounds, and may affect competitive dynamics. Currently, however, adjustment to climate change in resident and migratory birds have been studied separately or at relatively small geographical scales with varying time series durations and methodologies. Here, we studied differential effects of temperature on resident and migratory birds using the mean egg laying initiation dates from 10 European n…
Pathogenic microorganisms carried by migratorybirds passing through the territory of the island ofUstica, Sicily (Italy)
2011
Several studies have shown that migratory birds play an important role in the ecology, circulation and dissemination of pathogenic organisms. In October 2006, a health status evaluation was performed on a large population of migratory birds passing through the territory of Ustica (Italy), an island located on the migration route of many species of birds to Africa, and various laboratory tests were conducted. In total, 218 faecal swabs and the internal organs of 21 subjects found dead in nets were collected for bacteriological and virological examination, including avian influenza and Newcastle disease. In addition, 19 pooled fresh faecal samples were collected for mycological examination. T…
Salmonella bongori48:z35:– in Migratory Birds, Italy
2009
Suggested citation for this article: Foti M, Daidone A, Aleo A, Pizzimenti A, Giacopello C, Mammina C. Salmonella bongori 48:z35:– in migratory birds, Italy. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2009 Mar [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/15/3/502.htm
Birds facing climate change: a qualitative model for the adaptive potential of migratory behaviour
2015
Recent climate change is altering the migratory behaviour of many bird species. An advancement in the timing of spring events and a shift in the geographical distribution have been detected for birds around the world. In particular, intra-Palearctic migratory birds have advanced arrivals in spring and shortened migratory distances by shifting northward their wintering grounds. These changes in migratory patterns are considered adaptive responses facilitating the adjustment of the life cycle to the phenological changes found in their breeding areas. However, in some cases, populations exposed to the same selective pressures do not show any appreciable adaptive change in their behaviour. Basi…
Limited potential for bird migration to disperse plants to cooler latitudes
2021
Climate change is forcing the redistribution of life on Earth at an unprecedented velocity1,2. Migratory birds are thought to help plants to track climate change through long-distance seed dispersal3,4. However, seeds may be consistently dispersed towards cooler or warmer latitudes depending on whether the fruiting period of a plant species coincides with northward or southward migrations. Here we assess the potential of plant communities to keep pace with climate change through long-distance seed dispersal by migratory birds. To do so, we combine phenological and migration information with data on 949 seed-dispersal interactions between 46 bird and 81 plant species from 13 woodland communi…
Different trends of neighboring populations of Lesser Kestrel: Effects of climate and other environmental conditions
2019
The sensitivity of population trends to the climate and environment is generally considered a species-specific trait. However, evidence that populations may show different responses to the climate and environmental conditions is growing. Whether this differential sensitivity may arise even among neighboring populations remains elusive. We compared the trends of two neighboring populations of the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni, using data from a 12-year survey of 158 colonies in Sicily, Italy; the two populations inhabiting a lowland and an highland area, respectively. Population trends were modeled through the TRIM algorithms implemented in R (package rtrim). A reversed U-shaped population t…