The reproductive success of wild birds has been affected by exposure to multiple contaminants. Reproduction of captive American kestrels (Falco sparverius) was suppressed when adult birds were exposed to dietary polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In this study, the reproductive effects of in ovo exposure to PCBs is explored, along with determining effects on reproduction in second-generation bir...

We present a new method of measuring the food intake in cormorants based on stomach temperature recordings. Stomach temperature loggers were deployed both in captive and in free-living birds. We examine the accuracy of this method and compare it with the standard methods of evaluating food intake by pellet or stomach content analysis.

Due to their predatory nature, raptor species may serve as important indicators of environmental contamination with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Raptors prey on small rodents and birds that have diverse habitat ranges, including urban and rural environments, and their intestinal microflora can reflect that of the animals on which they feed. Enterococcus spp. were selected as target organis...

Infectious diseases can cause deleterious effects on bird species, leading to population decline and extinction. Haemosporidia can be recognized by their negative effects on host fitness, including reproductive success and immune responses. In captivity, outbreaks of haemosporidian infection have been observed in birds in zoos and aviaries. The endemic Brazilian Atlantic rainforest species Abur...

Seven methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus nasal isolates from apparently healthy captive and wild wallabies were characterised by DNA microarray and antibiotic susceptibility assays. Isolates were found to belong to uncommon clonal complexes including those previously associated with birds, pigs and humans.

© 2005 FFI, Oryx, 39(4), 1–6 doi:10.1017/S0030605305001110 Printed in the United Kingdom 1 Abstract Bird-keeping is an extremely popular pastime in Indonesia, where there is a thriving internal market in both wild-caught and captive-bred birds. However, little is known about whether the scale of bird-keeping represents a genuine conservation threat to native populations. Here we present the res...

Saidenberg A.B., Teixeira R.H.F., Guedes N.M.R., Allgayer M.C., Melvelville P.A. & Benites N.R. 2012. Molecular detection of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in asymptomatic captive psittacines. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 32(9):922-926. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques d...

Many different physiological changes have been observed in wild waterfowl during the flightless stage of wing moult, including a loss of body mass. We aimed to determine whether captive barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) would show the characteristic decrease in body mass during their wing moult, even though they had unlimited and unrestricted access to food. Fourteen captive geese were weighed ...

Little is known about baseline concentrations of adrenal hormones and hormonal responses to stress in sea ducks, although significant population declines documented in several species suggest that sea ducks are exposed to increased levels of environmental stress. Such declines have been observed in geographically distinct harlequin duck populations. We performed an adrenocorticotropic hormone (...

Clinical and pathologic findings of avian paramyxovirus type 1 (PMV-1) in 19 houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii) imported from Pakistan into the United Arab Emirates and one captive-bred bird are reported. Clinical signs included circling, walking backward, ataxia, opisthotonos, torticollis, recumbency, head tilt, head shaking, head tremor, tucking of head under keel, nasal disch...