The life history characteristics of hosts often influence patterns of parasite infection either by affecting the likelihood of parasite exposure or the probability of infection after exposure. In birds, migratory behavior has been suggested to affect both the composition and abundance of parasites within a host, although whether migratory birds have more or fewer parasites is unclear. To help a...

Long-distance dispersal (LDD) is a critical process in the distribution of less-migratory organisms. Migratory birds are considered principal vector LDD, especially over extremely long distances such as between continents. However, there has been no evidence LDD spanning thousands kilometers, even via birds. In this study, we collected freshwater snail attached to Latham's snipe. This was ident...

Geolocators are small light-weight data loggers used to track individual migratory routes, and their use has increased exponentially in birds. However, the effects of geolocators on individual performance are still poorly known. We studied geolocator effects on a long-distance migrating passerine bird, the northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe L.). We asked the general question of whether geoloc...

Migratory divides are contact zones between breeding populations that use divergent migratory routes and have been described in a variety of species. These divides are of major importance to evolution, ecology and conservation but have been identified using limited band recovery data and/or indirect methods. Data from band recoveries and mitochondrial haplotypes suggested that inland and coasta...

The identification of the sensory cues and mechanisms by which migratory birds are able to reach the same breeding and wintering grounds year after year has eluded biologists despite more than 50 years of intensive study. While a number of environmental cues have been proposed to play a role in the navigation of birds, arguments still persist about which cues are essential for the experience ba...

Migratory birds play an important role in large-scale movements of ticks and tick-borne pathogens, yet little is known about tick infestation resident (e.g., non-migratory species migratory during the breeding season), especially urban ecosystems. We captured season parks greenspaces Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, to evaluate overall patterns determine if urbanization influences prevalence (the ...

Concentrations of organochlorine contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were determined in the resident and migratory birds, which were collected from India, Japan, Philippines, Russia (Lake Baikal) and Vietnam. Accumulation patt...

Scientists and birdwatchers alike have noted precipitous population declines in many species of migratory songbirds during the last thirty years. However, the transitory nature of migratory birds makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of these declines. Some postulate that habitat loss on the tropical wintering grounds is the cause, while others suggest that forest degradation on the te...

In migratory passerine birds, strong magnetic pulses are thought to be diagnostic of the remagnetization of iron minerals in a putative sensory system contained in the beak. Previous evidence suggests that while such a magnetic pulse affects the orientation of migratory birds in orientation cages, no effect was present when pulse-treated birds were tested in natural migration. Here we show that...

UNLABELLED While geographic distance often restricts the spread of pathogens via hosts, this barrier may be compromised when host species are mobile. Migratory waterfowl in the order Anseriformes are important reservoir hosts for diverse populations of avian-origin influenza A viruses (AIVs) and are assumed to spread AIVs during their annual continental-scale migrations. However, support for th...