Passer Domesticus Research Articles

H7N9 influenza A virus transmission in a multispecies barnyard model

Influenza A viruses are a diverse group of pathogens that have been responsible for millions of human and avian deaths throughout history. Here, we illustrate the transmission potential of H7N9 influenza A virus between Coturnix quail (Coturnix sp.), domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus), chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), and house sparrows (Passer domesticus) co-housed in an artificial barnyard setting. In each of four replicates, individuals from a single species were infected with the virus. Quail shed virus orally and were a source of infection for both chickens and ducks. Infected chickens transmitted the virus to quail but not to ducks or house sparrows. Infected ducks transmitted to chickens, resulting in seroconversion without viral shedding. House sparrows did not shed virus sufficiently to transmit to other species. These results demonstrate that onward transmission varies by index species, and that gallinaceous birds are more likely to maintain H7N9 than ducks or passerines.

Using house sparrow in biomonitoring lead in Tehran air pollution

Using house sparrow in biomonitoring lead in Tehran air pollution

Long-Term Population Trends of House Sparrow and Eurasian Tree Sparrow in Spain

Urban areas are constantly increasing, which can cause an effect in bird populations since human activities lead to nature alterations. Populations of House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) have been decreasing in Spain according to the latest national censuses in Spain. In this study, we tried to assess the population trend over more than two decades using ringing data from Spanish constant effort sites, as well as to determine the population and breeding success proxy in relation to habitat composition at landscape level. We analysed the data and confirmed the decreasing trend in the two species. However, Eurasian Tree Sparrow showed signs of increasing presence in urban areas. Furthermore, the productivity remained stable over sampling sites and years, meaning that the causes of the decreasing populations are affecting both adult and juvenile individuals.

Diversity and Abundance of Breeding Birds, Habitat, and Nesting Substrate Selection in Urban Areas: A Relevant Case from the Southern Slope of the Mediterranean

Urban areas may affect the richness of avian species. The abundance and diversity of urban landscapes offer breeding habitats and nesting resources for urban-adapted species. In our study, we investigated the breeding birds in urban landscapes of Fez’s historical city (Morocco). We used line-transects to search for nests of breeding species, populations, and habitats counting breeding sites and predicting factors (foraging, nesting resources, and urbanization). Furthermore, four habitats counting green gardens, old city walls, urban farms, and urban forests were prospected to search for nests of breeding birds. Among 13 breeding species including 12 resident-breeders, and one breeding migrant, a total of 109 nests were documented. Five species counting Turdus merula, Sylvia atricapilla, Spilopelia senegalensis, Columba livia, and Coloeus monedula were encountered in green gardens; four species counting Athene noctua, Sturnus unicolor, Passer domesticus, and Tachymarptis melba were observed in old city walls. Falco tinnunculus, Fringilla coelebs, and Accipiter nisus occurred in urban forests; and Streptopelia decaocto in urban farms. The recorded nests were divided between cavities (50 nests) and trees (59 nests). In green spaces, nests were distributed among Olea europaea (17), Citrus aurantium (15), Bambusa vulgaris (11), and Eucalyptus globulus (7). In contrast, Olea oleaster and Cupressus sp. hosted only tree nests each, while Populus sp. and Washingtonia filifera hosted only one nest each. Most nests were recorded in habitats rich in nesting trees and close to water sources. On the contrary, the number of nests decreased as the surface and distance of the habitat to the urban center increased. Our data revealed the diversity, habitat use, and nesting substrates of urban breeding bird communities in Morocco and the Southern slope of the Western Palearctic. Future urban plans must integrate measures to provide suitable breeding resources such as cavities of old walls and a high diversity of urban green spaces for birds to enhance their breeding performances, thus promoting the well-being of the population via increasing biodiversity.

Predation attempt on a Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis) by a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Predation attempt on a Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis) by a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Predation attempt on a Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis) by a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Predation attempt on a Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis) by a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Longitudinal telomere dynamics within natural lifespans of a wild bird

Telomeres, the nucleotide sequences that protect the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, shorten with each cell division and telomere loss may be influenced by environmental factors. Telomere length (TL) decreases with age in several species, but little is known about the sources of genetic and environmental variation in the change in TL (∆TL) in wild animals. In this study, we tracked changes in TL throughout the natural lifespan (from a few months to almost 9 years) of free-living house sparrows (Passerdomesticus) in two different island populations. TL was measured in nestlings and subsequently up to four times during their lifetime. TL generally decreased with age (senescence), but we also observed instances of telomere lengthening within individuals. We found some evidence for selective disappearance of individuals with shorter telomeres through life. Early-life TL positively predicted later-life TL, but the within-individual repeatability in TL was low (9.2%). Using genetic pedigrees, we found a moderate heritability of ∆TL (h2 = 0.21), which was higher than the heritabilities of early-life TL (h2 = 0.14) and later-life TL measurements (h2 = 0.15). Cohort effects explained considerable proportions of variation in early-life TL (60%), later-life TL (53%), and ∆TL (37%), which suggests persistent impacts of the early-life environment on lifelong telomere dynamics. Individual changes in TL were independent of early-life TL. Finally, there was weak evidence for population differences in ∆TL that may be linked to ecological differences in habitat types. Combined, our results show that individual telomere biology is highly dynamic and influenced by both genetic and environmental variation in natural conditions.

House sparrows prioritize skin repair over constitutive innate immunity during long-term chronic stress.

The reactive scope model was created to address two major unanswered questions in stress physiology: how and when does the adaptive acute stress response turn into harmful chronic stress? Previous studies suggest that immunoenhancement should occur in reactive homeostasis (acute stress) and immunosuppression should occur in homeostatic overload (chronic stress). We used this dichotomy of immune function to further elucidate the transition from acute to chronic stress by treating house sparrows (Passer domesticus) with different intensities of chronic stress and then monitoring their immune function. By varying the number of stressors given per day and the length of chronic stress bouts over a period of 6 months, we produced four treatment groups: high, medium, and low stress, and captivity-only. We tracked immunity through the bacterial killing assay and monitored healing of a 4 mm skin biopsy punch. We hypothesized that higher-stress birds would repair their skin more slowly and have lower bacterial killing capacity. The opposite was true-high-stress birds initially repaired their skin fastest. Additionally, all birds dramatically reduced bacterial killing capacity after the biopsy and increased food-derived uric acid, suggesting increased energy acquisition and a shift in immune resources to a more immediate concern (healing). Once healing finished, only the high-stress birds were unable to recover circulating immune function, suggesting that the combination of high stress and an immune challenge pushed these birds into homeostatic overload. Prioritizing healing over other immunological processes might be the best defense for a bird in its natural habitat.

Environmental, geographical and time‐related impacts on avian malaria infections in native and introduced populations of house sparrows (Passer domesticus), a globally invasive species

AbstractAimThe increasing spread of vector‐borne diseases has resulted in severe health concerns for humans, domestic animals and wildlife, with changes in land use and the introduction of invasive species being among the main possible causes for this increase. We explored several ecological drivers potentially affecting the local prevalence and richness of avian malaria parasite lineages in native and introduced house sparrows (Passer domesticus) populations.LocationGlobal.Time period2002–2019.Major taxa studiedAvian Plasmodium parasites in house sparrows.MethodsWe analysed data from 2,220 samples from 69 localities across all continents, except Antarctica. The influence of environment (urbanization index and human density), geography (altitude, latitude, hemisphere) and time (bird breeding season and years since introduction) were analysed using generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) and random forests.ResultsOverall, 670 sparrows (30.2%) were infected with 22 Plasmodium lineages. In native populations, parasite prevalence was positively related to urbanization index, with the highest prevalence values in areas with intermediate urbanization levels. Likewise, in introduced populations, prevalence was positively associated with urbanization index; however, higher infection occurred in areas with either extreme high or low levels of urbanization. In introduced populations, the number of parasite lineages increased with altitude and with the years elapsed since the establishment of sparrows in a new locality. Here, after a decline in the number of parasite lineages in the first 30 years, an increase from 40 years onwards was detected.Main conclusionsUrbanization was related to parasite prevalence in both native and introduced bird populations. In invaded areas, altitude and time since bird introduction were related to the number of Plasmodium lineages found to be infecting sparrows.

Critical Evaluation of Architectural Rudiments from the Perspective of Religion

India owns 60% of the world's second-largest agricultural land area. Around 10% to 40% of the crops are impacted by birds. We'll attempt to find an answer to the following questions in this project. Our main objective is to repel the birds without hurting them, so we are driven to complete the task without using any human effort. We have selected one crop and analyzed. There are four types of birds that are harming the paddy, according to the survey that was done. The peacock, house sparrow, pegion and grey patridge have the biggest effects as compared to other species. For machine learning and digital image processing, we use the ORB algorithm approach. The primary library employed is the open CV. The Pictures of birds entering the agriculture field is captured and compared with the above four species. If the result is positive then the signal is transmitted to the microcontroller. Then the microcontroller functions the necessary hardware to repel the birds. Key Words: Birds, ORB Algorithm, Affecting birds, Features of image.

Habitats of House Sparrow Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Rameswaram Island, Tamil Nadu, India

This paper pertains to the nesting habitats of House Sparrow Passer domesticus with specific reference to population dynamics, nesting-related habits, nests, behaviours and other threats faced by these birds in Rameswaram Island. A total of 2,988 adult House Sparrows and 407 active nests were counted during the study. Of nests counted, 19% (n = 77) were solitary. The highest number of nests observed in a cluster was 9 (2 clusters). 60% of nests (n = 244) were found in concrete buildings, 39% (n = 159) in artificial nest-boxes, and 35% (n = 144) in cavities/crevices within buildings. House Sparrow population exhibited nesting plasticity, and 2% of nests were found constructed on vegetation. A wide variety of locally available materials, such as pieces of synthetic fishing nets, nylon ropes, and polythene papers were used for construction of nests. Sand and water bathing by birds were observed. Accidental fall of eggs and chicks, predation of nests by House Crows Corvus splendens, and unsuccessful attempts to predate adult birds by Black Kite Milvus migrans were observed, as well as opportunistic sightings of Shikra Accipiter badius.

Spatial variation in the evolutionary potential and constraints of basal metabolic rate and body mass in a wild bird.

An organism's energy budget is strongly related to resource consumption, performance, and fitness. Hence, understanding the evolution of key energetic traits, such as basal metabolic rate (BMR), in natural populations is central for understanding life-history evolution and ecological processes. Here we used quantitative genetic analyses to study evolutionary potential of BMR in two insular populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). We obtained measurements of BMR and body mass (Mb ) from 911 house sparrows on the islands of Leka and Vega along the coast of Norway. These two populations were the source populations for translocations to create an additional third, admixed 'common garden' population in 2012. With the use of a novel genetic group animal model concomitant with a genetically determined pedigree, we differentiate genetic and environmental sources of variation, thereby providing insight into the effects of spatial population structure on evolutionary potential. We found that the evolutionary potential of BMR was similar in the two source populations, whereas the Vega population had a somewhat higher evolutionary potential of Mb than the Leka population. BMR was genetically correlated with Mb in both populations, and the conditional evolutionary potential of BMR (independent of body mass) was 41% (Leka) and 53% (Vega) lower than unconditional estimates. Overall, our results show that there is potential for BMR to evolve independently of Mb , but that selection on BMR and/or Mb may have different evolutionary consequences in different populations of the same species.

Physiological status of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) along an ozone pollution gradient

Mexico City is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and one in which air contamination is considered a public health threat. Numerous studies have related high concentrations of particulate matter and ozone to several respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and a higher human mortality risk. However, almost all of those studies have focused on human health outcomes, and the effects of anthropogenic air pollution on wildlife species is still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impacts of air pollution in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) on house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We assessed two physiological responses commonly used as biomarkers: stress response (the corticosterone concentration in feathers), and constitutive innate immune response (the concentration of both natural antibodies and lytic complement proteins), which are non-invasive techniques. We found a negative relationship between the ozone concentration and the natural antibodies response (p = 0.003). However, no relationship was found between the ozone concentration and the stress response or the complement system activity (p > 0.05). These results suggest that ozone concentrations in air pollution within MCMA may constrain the natural antibody response in the immune system of house sparrows. Our study shows, for the first time, the potential impact of ozone pollution on a wild species in the MCMA presenting the Nabs activity and the house sparrow as suitable indicators to assess the effect of air contamination on the songbirds.

Nanopore adaptive sampling for targeted mitochondrial genome sequencing and bloodmeal identification in hematophagous insects

BackgroundBlood-feeding insects are important vectors for an array of zoonotic pathogens. While previous efforts toward generating molecular resources have largely focused on major vectors of global medical and veterinary importance, molecular data across a large number of hematophagous insect taxa remain limited. Advancements in long-read sequencing technologies and associated bioinformatic pipelines provide new opportunities for targeted sequencing of insect mitochondrial (mt) genomes. For engorged hematophagous insects, such technologies can be leveraged for both insect mitogenome genome assembly and identification of vertebrate blood-meal sources.MethodsWe used nanopore adaptive sampling (NAS) to sequence genomic DNA from four species of field-collected, blood-engorged mosquitoes (Aedes and Culex spp.) and one deer fly (Chrysops sp.). NAS was used for bioinformatical enrichment of mtDNA reads of hematophagous insects and potential vertebrate blood-meal hosts using publically available mt genomes as references. We also performed an experimental control to compare results of traditional non-NAS nanopore sequencing to the mt genome enrichment by the NAS method.ResultsComplete mitogenomes were assembled and annotated for all five species sequenced with NAS: Aedes trivittatus, Aedes vexans, Culex restuans, Culex territans and the deer fly, Chrysops niger. In comparison to data generated during our non-NAS control experiment, NAS yielded a substantially higher proportion of reference-mapped mtDNA reads, greatly streamlining downstream mitogenome assembly and annotation. The NAS-assembled mitogenomes ranged in length from 15,582 to 16,045 bp, contained between 78.1% and 79.0% A + T content and shared the anticipated arrangement of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNAs, and 22 transfer RNAs. Maximum likelihood phylogenies were generated to further characterize each insect species. Additionally, vertebrate blood-meal analysis was successful in three samples sequenced, with mtDNA-based phylogenetic analyses revealing that blood-meal sources for Chrysops niger, Culex restuans and Aedes trivittatus were human, house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and eastern cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus), respectively.ConclusionsOur findings show that NAS has dual utility to simultaneously molecularly identify hematophagous insects and their blood-meal hosts. Moreover, our data indicate NAS can facilitate a wide array of mitogenomic systematic studies through novel ‘phylogenetic capture’ methods. We conclude that the NAS approach has great potential for broadly improving genomic resources used to identify blood-feeding insects, answer phylogenetic questions and elucidate complex pathways for the transmission of vector-borne pathogens.Graphical

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) escape behavior is triggered faster in smaller settlements

A recurrent behavioral trait model to study adaptation to urban environments is the flight initiation distance (FID), measured as the distance at which animals flee from an approaching threat. It has previously been shown that urban birds display shorter FID than their non-urban (rural) counterparts. However, discerning whether this is the result of habituation to human presence and frequentation, or of ecological factors related to the size of the city (considered as “systemic habituation”), has not yet been addressed. In this study, we analyzed House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) FIDs in a network of 26 small towns and villages within the same region in northeastern Spain. Our aim was to relate FID to human population density and settlement size. If the habituation to human presence hypothesis was supported, we should expect FIDs to decrease with the density of the human population across the human settlements, since this type of habituation is related to the rate of human exposure and this is proportional to human density. However, if the systemic habituation hypothesis was supported, FIDs should instead relate to the size of the human settlements, as the abundance of predators, similarly to other ecological variables, is often proportional to the size of towns. Results showed House Sparrows to be bolder in larger human settlements, but not necessarily the ones with a higher density of human population. This supports the idea that the fact that urban birds display shorter FIDs than their rural counterparts is the result of systemic ecological factors rather than the results of a simple habituation to humans.

Effects of corticosterone administration on the body condition and blood parameters of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus.

Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones produced by the adrenal glands and released into the bloodstream in response to stressful situations. In birds, corticosterone (CORT) is the main glucocorticoid released under stress. Throughout their lives, animals in nature are continually exposed to noxious stimuli known as stressful events. Any alteration of homeostatic stability is a stressful situation and this alteration triggers physiological changes to restore homeostasis. Glucocorticoids are one of the components of the complex set of physiological and behavioral responses to stress. In this work, we use CORT supplied in drinking water to evaluate its effect in blood parameters and physiology in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). To accomplish this, P. domesticus were administered three different doses of CORT in drinking water for 72 h. Body mass, organ mass, pectoral muscle mass, leg muscle mass, and blood parameters (CORT, triglycerides, glucose and uric acid, heterophils/lymphocytes ratio, hematocrit, and serum protein profile) were determined before and after CORT treatment. A 15% decrease in body mass with a significant decrease in pectoral mass were observed after the higher CORT treatment, as well as a decrease in the plasma concentration of uric acid. Lastly, we found a reversal of the heterophils/lymphocytes ratio and a decrease in hematocrit. It was possible to establish first data for baseline and CORT-alteration values in serum protein profile for P. domesticus. Baseline and altered values of blood parameters and serum protein profile could be an important tool in field ecology because they provide important data to assess the physiological condition in wild birds.

Factors influencing reproductive success of House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), A study with reference to open nests at Jangareddigudem urban, India

Factors influencing reproductive success of House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), A study with reference to open nests at Jangareddigudem urban, India

Uncommon Nest Site Selection by House Sparrows (Passer Domesticus)

Uncommon Nest Site Selection by House Sparrows (Passer Domesticus)

Streptomyces isolated from bird feathers as a potential source for novel antibiotics.

Streptomyces, the main source of antibiotics essential for human health, are widely distributed in nature among terrestrial, oceanic and atmospheric environments. New trends in antibiotic discovery are focused in the search for novel bioactive strains in unexplored habitats. We provide here evidence of the presence of diverse Streptomyces populations in wild bird feathers, such as the seagull, Larus michahellis, collected at Northern Spain; the sparrow, Passer domesticus, and the hoopoe, Upupa epops, both collected in Southern Spain. Taxonomic identification of fourteen bioactive strains, by sequencing their 16S rRNA gene and phylogenetic analyses, revealed that all of them are homologous to a total of 10 different Streptomyces. Strains from seagull samples are homologous to other antibiotic producers previously isolated from atmospheric, marine and terrestrial environments in the Cantabrian Sea region, Northern Spain. Isolates form Southern feather samples, from a house sparrow and a Eurasian hoopoe, are homologues to Streptomyces strains previously isolated mainly from soils along the Mediterranean region. The most relevant feature is that they are producers of diverse antibiotics with activity against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. We report here the successful activation of silent antibiotic biosynthetic pathways in response to changes in environmental conditions, such as incubation temperature and salinity of the culture medium, in agreement with the OSMAC approach, One Strain Many Compounds. The finding of bioactive Streptomyces in bird's plumage might be of relevance, not only in the ecology of Streptomyces-birds associations, but also in medicine and biotechnology since they can be regarded as a potential source for novel antibiotics.

Gut microbiome diversity and composition is associated with exploratory behavior in a wild-caught songbird

BackgroundThe gut microbiome influences its host in a myriad of ways, from immune system development to nutrient utilization. However, our understanding of the relationship between the gut microbiome and behavior, especially in wild species, is still poor. One behavior that potentially interacts with the gut microbiome is exploratory behavior, which animals use to acquire new information from the environment. We hypothesized that diversity of the gut microbiome will be correlated with exploratory behavior in a wild-caught bird species. To test this hypothesis, we captured wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and collected fecal samples to measure the diversity of their gut microbiomes. We then introduced individuals to a novel environment and measured their exploratory behavior.ResultsWe found that birds with higher alpha diversity of the gut microbiome exhibited higher exploratory behavior. These results suggest that high exploratory birds encounter more types of environmental microbes that contribute to their diverse gut microbiome compared with less exploratory birds. Alternatively, increased gut microbiome diversity may contribute to increased exploratory behavior. We also found differences in beta diversity when comparing high and low exploring birds, indicating differences in microbiome community structure. When comparing predicted functional pathways of the birds’ microbiomes, we found that the microbiomes of high explorers contained more pathways involved in biofilm formation and xenobiotic degradation than those of low explorers.ConclusionsOverall, we found that the alpha and beta diversity of the gut microbiome is correlated with exploratory behavior of house sparrows. The predicted functions of the gut microbiome from high explorers differs from that of low explorers. Our study highlights the importance of considering the gut microbiome when investigating animal behavior.