Helminth Parasites in Some Wild Birds

Report On The Nest Record Scheme, 1958, by J. F. Burton     

山东半岛滨海沙滩前缘的野生植物

滨海沙滩是以海水影响为基本过程的地貌类型,适应这种环境的植物类群与适生于内陆的沙地植物可能存在巨大差别。在野外调查的基础上,分析了山东半岛滨海沙滩前缘的植物种类及其种间关系。结果表明：（1）滨海沙滩前缘具有独特的优势种库,包括沙钻苔草（Carex kobomugi）、肾叶打碗花（Calystegia soldanella）、粗毛鸭嘴草（Ischaemum bartatum）、单叶蔓荆（Vitex trifolia var.simplicifolia）、矮生苔草（Carex pumila）和沙引草（Messerschmidia sibirica）等;（2）优势种库的成员都是潜在优势种,它们之间主要呈抑制效应,对库外物种几乎没有抑制效应,甚至有互补或互利效应。在进化过程中,这些潜在优势种可能已适应风暴潮的干扰,不会因受风暴潮灾害而灭亡。当植物适应风暴潮后,滨海沙滩不再是灾难环境,反而变为适宜生境。为持续利用这些物种,不仅要保护其赖以生存的天然生境,还要开展引种栽培,消除人们对野生资源的采挖动机。根据物种间的天然联系,栽培时宜将具有互利或互补关系的物种间混种植,不宜将具有抑制关系的物种间混种植。     

鸟市贸易威胁野生鸟类生存——以哈尔滨道外花鸟鱼市场为例

为探讨鸟市贸易对野生鸟类的威胁与影响,给当地野生动物保护部门实施监管提供科学依据,于2016年11月—2017年11月对黑龙江省哈尔滨市最大鸟市——道外花鸟鱼市场进行调查。结果发现:(1)共记录6目34科83属117种18 729只鸟类,其中野生鸟类5目32科77属108种11 662只。有出售国家保护鸟种黄胸鹀 Emberiza aureola、猛禽及非法捕猎工具的现象。(2)所有被贩卖的野生鸟类中,在黑龙江省有分布的共69种,数量达9 707只。相关分析结果表明,黑龙江省有分布的野生鸟类是鸟市非法捕捉及贩卖的主要对象。(3)贩卖量为春、秋季多,夏、冬季少,7—10月鸟类迁徙季节时最多,占总贩卖量的45.2%,说明鸟类秋季迁徙是非法猎捕的高峰期。(4)调查中发现较多的南方鸟种(32.4%)也一定程度上说明野生鸟类非法运输的严重性。建议当地林业和草原局及时加强对道外花鸟鱼市场的监管,在鸟类迁徙季节从非法捕捉和运输环节实施严厉打击。     

Mortality in Wild Birds with some Observations on Weights

The 1984 census revealed that the population of Little Ringed Plovers summering in Britain had increased by approximately 30% since 1973 to a minimum of 608 pairs, thus continuing the upward trend which began in the 1940s. There was an extension of range westwards and an expansion within the northern part of the existing range. The population changed very little in the south, where it is possible that the available habitat is now fully occupied, although interaction with Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula¸ may be a limiting factor in places. Some concern must he expressed for the long-term future of the species in Britain as it depends largely on man-made habitats, free of vegetation, for breeding.     

Wild Birds Learn Songs from Experimental Vocal Tutors

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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus among Wild Birds in Mongolia

Mongolia combines a near absence of domestic poultry, with an abundance of migratory waterbirds, to create an ideal location to study the epidemiology of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) in a purely wild bird system. Here we present the findings of active and passive surveillance for HPAIV subtype H5N1 in Mongolia from 2005–2011, together with the results of five outbreak investigations. In total eight HPAIV outbreaks were confirmed in Mongolia during this period. Of these, one was detected during active surveillance employed by this project, three by active surveillance performed by Mongolian government agencies, and four through passive surveillance. A further three outbreaks were recorded in the neighbouring Tyva Republic of Russia on a lake that bisects the international border. No HPAIV was isolated (cultured) from 7,855 environmental fecal samples (primarily from ducks), or from 2,765 live, clinically healthy birds captured during active surveillance (primarily shelducks, geese and swans), while four HPAIVs were isolated from 141 clinically ill or dead birds located through active surveillance. Two low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIV) were cultured from ill or dead birds during active surveillance, while environmental feces and live healthy birds yielded 56 and 1 LPAIV respectively. All Mongolian outbreaks occurred in 2005 and 2006 (clade 2.2), or 2009 and 2010 (clade 2.3.2.1); all years in which spring HPAIV outbreaks were reported in Tibet and/or Qinghai provinces in China. The occurrence of outbreaks in areas deficient in domestic poultry is strong evidence that wild birds can carry HPAIV over at least moderate distances. However, failure to detect further outbreaks of clade 2.2 after June 2006, and clade 2.3.2.1 after June 2010 suggests that wild birds migrating to and from Mongolia may not be competent as indefinite reservoirs of HPAIV, or that HPAIV did not reach susceptible populations during our study.     

Neurally Active Stress Peptide Inhibits Territorial Defense in Wild Birds

It is unclear whether the behavioral effects of peptides in laboratory studies always reflect natural conditions. Here we test whether we can detect measurable behavioral changes after rapidly injecting peptides into the brains of wild birds. We used a modified stereotaxic-like technique to inject corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and arginine vasotocin (AVT, the nonmammalian form of arginine vasopressin), two hormones important in the stress response, into the brains of wild, freely behaving, male white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys). We then monitored subsequent territorial behavior to determine whether CRF or AVT altered this behavior. Surprisingly, the potent stressors of capture and surgery did not eliminate territorial behavior, with many birds resuming territorial defense within 60–90 min after surgery. Centrally acting CRF, however, significantly reduced territorial defense whereas centrally acting AVT had no effect. These results indicate that the behavioral affects of peptides can be studied under natural conditions.     

Characteristics of Cefotaxime-Resistant Escherichia coli from Wild Birds in The Netherlands

Cloacal swabs from carcasses of Dutch wild birds obtained in 2010 and 2011 were selectively cultured on media with cefotaxime to screen for the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli. Subsequently, all cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates were tested by broth microdilution and microarray. The presence of ESBL/AmpC and coexisting plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes was confirmed by PCR and sequencing. To determine the size of plasmids and the location of ESBL and PMQR genes, S1 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on transformants, followed by Southern blot hybridization. The study included 414 cloacal swabs originating from 55 different bird species. Cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates were identified in 65 birds (15.7%) from 21 different species. In all, 65 cefotaxime-resistant E. coli ESBL/AmpC genes were detected, mainly comprising variants of bla_CTX-M and bla_CMY-2. Furthermore, PMQR genes [aac(6′)-lb-cr, qnrB1, and qnrS1] coincided in seven cefotaxime-resistant E. coli isolates. Overall, replicon typing of the ESBL/AmpC-carrying plasmids demonstrated the predominant presence of IncI1 (n = 31) and variants of IncF (n = 18). Our results indicate a wide dissemination of ESBL and AmpC genes in wild birds from The Netherlands, especially among aquatic-associated species (waterfowl, gulls, and waders). The identified genes and plasmids reflect the genes found predominantly in livestock animals as well as in humans.     

Three Echinostome Species from Wild Birds in the Republic of Korea

Three echinostome species, i.e., Patagifer bilobus, Petasiger neocomense, and Saakotrema metatestis, are newly recorded in the trematode fauna of the Republic of Korea. They were recovered from 3 species of migratory birds (Platalea minor, Podiceps cristatus, and Egretta garzetta), which were donated by the Wildlife Center of Chungbuk (WCC) and the Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife (CGRB). Only 1 P. bilobus specimen was recovered from the intestine of a black-faced spoonbill (P. minor), and characterized by the bilobed head crown with a deep dorsal incision and 54 collar spines. Twenty P. neocomense were recovered from the intestine of a great crested grebe (P. cristatus), and they had a well-developed head crown with 19 spines and 2 testes obliquely located at the posterior middle of the body. Total 70 S. metatestis were collected from the bursa of Fabricius of 1 little egret (E. garzetta). It is characterized by stout tegumental spines covered in the entire leaf-shaped body, posterior extension of the uterus, presence of the uroproct and a well-developed head crown with 12 pairs of collar spines on each side. By the present study, these 3 echinostome species are newly added to the trematode fauna in Korea.     

Influenza A Virus Migration and Persistence in North American Wild Birds

Wild birds have been implicated in the emergence of human and livestock influenza. The successful prediction of viral spread and disease emergence, as well as formulation of preparedness plans have been hampered by a critical lack of knowledge of viral movements between different host populations. The patterns of viral spread and subsequent risk posed by wild bird viruses therefore remain unpredictable. Here we analyze genomic data, including 287 newly sequenced avian influenza A virus (AIV) samples isolated over a 34-year period of continuous systematic surveillance of North American migratory birds. We use a Bayesian statistical framework to test hypotheses of viral migration, population structure and patterns of genetic reassortment. Our results reveal that despite the high prevalence of Charadriiformes infected in Delaware Bay this host population does not appear to significantly contribute to the North American AIV diversity sampled in Anseriformes. In contrast, influenza viruses sampled from Anseriformes in Alberta are representative of the AIV diversity circulating in North American Anseriformes. While AIV may be restricted to specific migratory flyways over short time frames, our large-scale analysis showed that the long-term persistence of AIV was independent of bird flyways with migration between populations throughout North America. Analysis of long-term surveillance data provides vital insights to develop appropriately informed predictive models critical for pandemic preparedness and livestock protection.