Abstract
The use of haematophagous bugs (Triatominae) for minimally-invasive blood sampling has increasingly gained interest. We developed a small bug-containing dummy egg (size: 25 × 19 [mm]) for stress-free blood sampling during incubation in Common Swifts (Apus apus) and potentially even smaller bird species. Our design expands on an application of a method previously used successfully on larger birds. In our study, 40 % of blood-sampling attempts were successful. Success was highest in the early breeding season, higher at noon than later in the day and unaffected by nest infestation with ectoparasitic louse-flies (Crataerina pallida). We recommend this method for blood-sampling birds without trapping during the sensitive period of incubation and encourage its application in small bird species.
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