Ring Doves Research Articles

The Founding Feathers: the true ancestry of the domestic Barbary Dove

The Founding Feathers: the true ancestry of the domestic Barbary Dove

Molecular epidemiological study of Trichomonas gallinae focusing on central and southeastern Europe.

Trichomonas gallinae is a geographically widespread protozoan parasite of birds. In this study, oropharyngeal swab samples were collected in Hungary and Romania from 99 columbiform birds, including 76 feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica: 42 kept for racing, 32 with urban and two with rural habitat), four common wood pigeons (C. palumbus), 16 ring doves (Streptopelia risoria) and three Eurasian collared doves (S. decaocto). These samples were analyzed for the presence of T. gallinae using molecular methods. Racing feral pigeons had significantly higher prevalence of T. gallinae infection than urban feral pigeons. The rate of PCR-positivity was the highest among wood pigeons and ring doves. Based on 18S rRNA gene, T. gallinae was the most heterogenous among racing feral pigeons sampled in a trading-breeding place. Clinical signs were associated with only one 18S rRNA gene subtype. The most divergent 18S rRNA gene subtype, Trichomonas sp. Hu-TG37 clustered with T. canistomae and T. tenax and represents probably a new species. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the genetic diversity of T. gallinae in the southeastern European region. The results suggest that most detected T. gallinae 18S rRNA gene subtypes are not host-specific and do not cause clinical signs. The highest number of 18S rRNA gene subtypes was demonstrated among racing feral pigeons. Significantly more captive than free-living columbiform birds had T. gallinae infection. These data highlight the importance of epizootic monitoring of the genetic diversity and presence of T. gallinae in trading-breeding places of pigeons and doves.

Alteration of the temporal association between courtship audio and visual components affects female sexual response.

Some multimodal signals-that is, occurring in more than one sensory modality-appear to carry additional information which is not present when component signals are presented separately. To understand the function of male ring dove's (Streptopelia risoria) multimodal courtship, we used audiovisual playback of male displays to investigate female response to stimuli differing in their audiovisual timing. From natural courtship recordings, we created a shifted stimulus where audio was shifted relative to video by a fixed value and a jittered stimulus, where each call was moved randomly along the visual channel. We presented 3 groups of females with the same stimulus type, that is, control, shifted, and jittered, for 7days. We recorded their behavior and assessed pre- and post-test blood estradiol concentration. We found that playback exposure increased estradiol levels, confirming that this technique can be efficiently used to study doves' sexual communication. Additionally, chasing behavior (indicating sexual stimulation) increased over experimental days only in the control condition, suggesting a role of multimodal timing on female response. This stresses the importance of signal configuration in multimodal communication, as additional information is likely to be contained in the temporal association between modalities.

Egg burial in the ringneck dove (Streptopelia risoria): A potential laboratory model system for egg-rejection research?

In avian brood parasitism, parasites lay their eggs in the nests of hosts, and many hosts in the wild respond by eliminating or abandoning foreign eggs in their clutch. However, a limitation upon the study of proximate, especially physiological and experience-dependent cognitive mechanisms of egg rejection, has been the lack of a suitable model system in captivity. Here, we tested whether laboratory-kept ringneck doves (Streptopelia risoria) respond to visually distinct egg types (through applying an ink treatment upon the doves' own eggs) by rejecting them. We found that in two of two experiments, brown eggs were more often rejected, through predominantly egg burial, relative to control eggs but were done so only by a subset of dove pairs. These results are supportive of ringneck doves to become a suitable captive model for the study of foreign-egg rejection, and open the way for future research on the integrative (e.g., genetic, endocrine, ontogenetic, and cognitive) study of egg-rejection responses in a tractable research system. However, the ecological validity and applicability of this model system for the analysis of host-parasite interactions in the wild remain narrowly limited. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Naturalistic learning and reproduction in ring neck doves (Streptopelia risoria)

Successful reproduction in avian species requires considerable parental care, and for most species the efforts of both parents are necessary for the survival of offspring. Here we make the case that in these species reproductive interactions are enhanced when neurochemical activity reinforces critical stimuli and behaviors through associative learning. Drawing from research on several different species, we describe evidence for the role of associative learning in the reproductive behaviors of ring neck doves (Streptopelia risoria). A hypothetical mechanism involving a combination of classical and operant conditioning is proposed to explain the formation and maintenance of the pair bond, nest fidelity, and incubation behavior. The role of the opiate system in reinforcing various aspects of reproductive behavior in this and other species is discussed.

The colourful journey of the Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

In the 18th and 19th centuries the Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto was widely considered to be the wild ancestor of the domesticated Barbary Dove (domestic S. risoria), and even following its recognition as a species its taxonomic status was a source of confusion. Since 1900, and the species' massive geographic expansion (both naturally and by introduction) the two taxa have occasionally met. The resultant hybridisation is probably the cause of the large number of Eurasian Collared Doves with the aberrant pale colour of Barbary Doves in areas where hybridisation has occurred.

Female behaviour is differentially associated with specific components of multimodal courtship in ring doves

Courtship displays are typically conspicuous, elaborate and composed of concomitant signals occurring in different sensory modalities. Although multimodal signals have received increasing attention over the past years, technical issues, in particular the lack of appropriate recording and analytical methods, have long restricted large-scale systematic study of their function. Here, we investigated in detail in 100 male–female dyads whether the multimodal, audiovisual courtship signals of the male ring dove, Streptopelia risoria, are associated with different immediate behavioural responses by the female, and whether such responses depend on the courting individual. We used synchronized high-speed video and audio recordings followed by semiautomatic image- and audio-processing techniques to precisely quantify variation in male courtship and female response. In particular, we investigated the structure of acoustic and visual courtship components, as well as aspects related to multimodal synchronization. We found that the fundamental frequency of male calls, as well as the total courtship duration and the duration of courtship bouts, influenced female tail-quivering behaviour, confirming that this behaviour is a sign of sexual interest in doves. On the other hand, some courtship variables frequently investigated in the literature, such as courtship rate, did not affect any aspect of female response. Additionally, we demonstrated an effect of repeated encounters with an individual of the opposite sex both on male courtship variables and on female sexual response to courtship. Females also responded differently to different males, that is, we found variation in female behavioural response to courtship variables related to identity and courtship effort. Further empirical studies are needed to assess how different male courtship elements influence female behaviour and ultimate mating decisions.

A role for endogenous opiates in incubation behavior in ring neck doves (Streptopelia risoria)

Incubation of eggs is a critical component of parental care in avian species. However, we do not fully understand the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying this vital behavior. While prolactin is clearly involved, it alone cannot explain the fine-tuning of incubation behavior. The present experiments explored the possibility that incubation is reinforced through a hedonic system in which contact with eggs elicited an opiate-mediated reinforcing state. Blockade of opiate receptors with naloxone reduced time ring neck doves (Streptopelia risoria) spent on the nest, possibly by uncoupling the opiate-receptor mediated hedonic experience of contact with eggs from nest-sitting behavior. Likewise, activation of opiate receptors with morphine also reduced time spent on the nest, possibly by activating an opiate-receptor mediated hedonic experience, hence rendering the eliciting behavior (contact with eggs) unnecessary. Taken together, the results suggest that the opiate system may play a previously unrecognized role in facilitating incubation through reinforcement.

Central prolactin receptor distribution and pSTAT5 activation patterns in breeding and non-breeding zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

The hormone prolactin has many diverse functions across taxa such as osmoregulation, metabolism, and reproductive behavior. In ring doves, central prolactin action is important for parental care and feeding behavior. However, there is a considerable lack of information on the distribution of the prolactin receptor (PRLR) in the avian CNS to test the hypothesis that prolactin mediates these and other functions in other birds. In order to advance this research, we collected brains from breeding and non-breeding zebra finches to map the PRLR distribution using immunohistochemistry. We found PRLRs are distributed widely across the brain, both in hypothalamic sites known to regulate parental care and feeding, but also in many non-hypothalamic sites, including the tectofugal visual pathway, song system regions, reward associated areas, and pallium. This raises the possibility that prolactin has other functions throughout the brain that are not necessarily related to feeding or parental care. In addition, we also stained brains for pSTAT5, a transcription factor which is expressed when the PRLR is activated and is used as a marker for PRLR activity. We found several notable differences in pSTAT5 activity due to the breeding state of the animal, in both directions, further supporting the hypothesis that prolactin has many diverse functions in the brain both within and outside times of breeding. Together, this study represents the first essential step to inform the design of causative studies which manipulate PRLR-expressing cells to test their role in a wide variety of behaviors and other physiological functions.

Mechanisms of Convergent Egg Provisioning in Poison Frogs.

Parental provisioning of offspring with physiological products (nursing) occurs in many animals, yet little is known about the neuroendocrine basis of nursing in non-mammalian species. Within amphibians, maternal provisioning has evolved multiple times, with mothers of some species feeding unfertilized eggs to their developing offspring until tadpoles complete metamorphosis [1-3]. We conducted field studies in Ecuador and Madagascar to ask whether convergence at the behavioral level provides similar benefits to offspring and relies on shared neural mechanisms in dendrobatid and mantellid poison frogs. At an ecological level, we found that nursing allows poison frogs to provide chemical defenses to their tadpoles in both species. At the neural level, nursing was associated with increased activity in the lateral septum and preoptic area, demonstrating recruitment of shared brain regions in the convergent evolution of nursing within frogs and across vertebrates [4]. In contrast, only mantellids showed increased oxytocin neuron activity akin to that in nursing mammals [5], suggesting evolutionary versatility in molecular mechanisms. Our findings demonstrate that maternal provisioning provides similar potential benefits to offspring and relies on similar brain regions in poison frog species with convergently evolved toxicity and maternal care. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Crested Barbary dove (streptopelia risoria) in pet shop of kushtia, Bangladesh

Crested Barbary dove (streptopelia risoria) in pet shop of kushtia, Bangladesh

Revisiting the Avian Eco-SSL for Lead: Recommendations for Revision.

The avian ecological soil screening level (Eco-SSL) for Pb (11 mg/kg) is within soil background concentrations for >90% of the United States. Consequently, its utility as a soil screening level is limited. Site-specific ecological risk-based remedial goals for Pb are frequently many times greater. Toxicity reference values (TRVs) play a major role in defining Eco-SSLs. The Pb Eco-SSL TRV is driven by reduced egg production in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), which displays effects at doses both substantially lower and greater than other tested species. High variability in egg production in Japanese quail has also been observed for other contaminants. Japanese quail egg production may therefore be too variable and unreliable an effect endpoint upon which to base regulatory screening criteria. Toxicity data supporting the Eco-SSL were reevaluated and only studies reporting both no and lowest observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs and LOAELs) for reproduction, growth, or survival were considered. Dose-response data were extracted from 10 studies both as concentrations and doses. Dose-response relationships were developed using the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Benchmark Dose Software for dietary concentrations and doses for egg production in Japanese quail and chickens. Effect levels (of 10%, 20%, and 50%) were extracted from the dose-response analyses. Species sensitivity distributions and dose-response data indicated reproduction was most sensitive to Pb and survival was least sensitive, with growth intermediate. Limited data for ringed turtle doves (Streptopelia risoria) and American kestrels (Falco sparverius) suggest lower sensitivity than chickens to Pb. The ED10 and ED20 thresholds for chickens were 4.4 and 9.8 mg·kg-1 ·d-1 , respectively. Avian Pb Eco-SSLs were recalculated based on the chicken ED10 and ED20, with and without a bioavailability adjustment. Revised avian Pb Eco-SSLs for the most highly exposed species (American woodcock), based on the ED10 and assuming 100% and 50% bioavailability, were 36.3 mg/kg and 43.7 mg/kg, respectively. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019;15:739-749. © 2019 SETAC.

Streptopelia risoriaand how Linnaeus had the last laugh

The dove known as Streptopelia risoria (Linnaeus, 1758) has long confused ornithologists. Linnaeus described a domestic variety of a dove whose wild form was then unknown. Its wild counterpart, African Collared Dove, was subsequently named Streptopelia roseogrisea (Sundevall, 1857) but that name's type series was mixed. Despite this, the name roseogrisea became commonly accepted and was used for both African Collared Dove and its domestic form in avian taxonomy, whilst the name risoria was commonly used by bird-keepers for the domestic form. In 2008 the ICZN ruled that the senior name risoria should have priority for both African Collared Dove and its domestic form, Barbary Dove. Although this decision was appropriate, it was based on incomplete information. Here a detailed history of the use of the name risoria in the ornithological literature is presented, followed by designation of a neotype for roseogrisea to resolve taxonomy.‘Among the Turtle-Doves—now Streptopelia, formerly Turtur—there is first of all a difficulty about the name “risoria”' (Hartert 1916).

Behavioural and morphological characteristics of white doves in Osmaniye, Turkey identify the population as Laughing Doves (Streptopelia senegalensis)

Observation of an unusual population of white-plumaged doves in Osmaniye suggests that these birds are conspecific with the Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis, Linnaeus, 1766) population in the town. The white-morph is not found outside the urban area. Aside from colouration, the white doves shared identical morphological characteristics with wild-type brown Laughing Doves. Additionally, the white doves and wild-type Laughing Doves formed mixed flocks and readily paired. Based on the observations of four inter-morph pairings, the white morph appears to be a recessive, single autosomal locus mutation. It appears that the white colouration may have originated from one or more hybridization events between Laughing Doves and feral white Barbary Doves (Streptopelia risoria). This study not only identifies an anomalous population of birds in an urban setting, but highlights the importance of traditional knowledge in understanding biodiversity.

Adult Neurogenesis in Injury-Induced Self-Repair: Use It or Lose It.

One of the most hotly pursued topics in neuroscience and therapeutic medicine is the use of stem cells in the adult brain. Growing in parallel to this emerging field is the recognition that the adult brain is indeed capable of generating new cells. While neurogenesis was understood to be restricted to a few areas, recent studies suggest that damage to the adult brain can trigger neurogenesis even in regions outside of these specific areas. This finding raises the possibility that neurons born in response to perturbation in the brain may be involved in the recovery of function in the damaged adult brain. The key is understanding how to cultivate these newborn cells, because they do not remain viable if they are not accepted into the damaged network of interconnected neurons which support specific functions. From a birth site, undifferentiated precursor cells or neurons undergo migration and differentiation. Many factors influence the safe journey of migrating cells and their survival after maturation at their destination.This review will present evidence from ring dove studies that an activity-dependent mechanism underlies the survival of adult newborn neurons and establishment of their functionality. This evidence includes: [1] unique electrophysiological properties or specific connectivity associated with various type of neurons involved in ring dove coo behavior and reproductive function, [2] emergence of electrophysiological properties and specific projection neurons emanating from newborn neurons after hypothalamic lesion, and finally [3] collective behavioral analyses of social stimulations suggesting that sensorimotor events contribute to the integration of new neurons and reinstatement of function.

Convergent Evolution of Head Crests in Two Domesticated Columbids Is Associated with Different Missense Mutations in EphB2.

Head crests are important display structures in wild bird species and are also common in domesticated lineages. Many breeds of domestic rock pigeon (Columba livia) have crests of reversed occipital feathers, and this recessive trait is associated with a nonsynonymous coding mutation in the intracellular kinase domain of EphB2 (Ephrin receptor B2). The domestic ringneck dove (Streptopelia risoria) also has a recessive crested morph with reversed occipital feathers, and interspecific crosses between crested doves and pigeons produce crested offspring, suggesting a similar genetic basis for this trait in both species. We therefore investigated EphB2 as a candidate for the head crest phenotype of ringneck doves and identified a nonsynonymous coding mutation in the intracellular kinase domain that is significantly associated with the crested morph. This mutation is over 100 amino acid positions away from the crest mutation found in rock pigeons, yet both mutations are predicted to negatively affect the function of ATP-binding pocket. Furthermore, bacterial toxicity assays suggest that "crest" mutations in both species severely impact kinase activity. We conclude that head crests are associated with different mutations in the same functional domain of the same gene in two different columbid species, thereby representing striking evolutionary convergence in morphology and molecules.

Philip Arthur Dominic Hollom (1912-2014)

Philip Arthur Dominic Hollom (1912-2014)

Evaluation of Multidrug Therapy With Azithromycin, Rifampin, and Ethambutol for the Treatment of Mycobacterium avium subsp avium in Ring-neck Doves (Streptopelia risoria): An Uncontrolled Clinical Study.

An uncontrolled clinical study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a multidrug protocol in 16 ring-neck doves ( Streptopelia risoria ) from a flock naturally infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp avium. The doves were considered infected on the basis of a high prevalence of infection in a group of 29 birds that were euthanatized from the same flock and clinical signs and pathologic results consistent with infection in the remaining birds. All birds were treated with azithromycin (43 mg/kg), rifampin (45 mg/kg), and ethambutol (30 mg/kg) administered orally once daily for 180 days. Five birds died during treatment and were confirmed positive for mycobacteriosis on postmortem examination. Of the remaining 11 birds, infection and disease were present in 9 (81.8%) at the end of the treatment. Postmortem investigation showed that 2 mycobacterial isolates were resistant to ethambutol, intermediately sensitive to rifampin, and sensitive to azithromycin. Microscopic examination of liver sections equivalent of those that would be taken for biopsy showed that biopsy as a method of monitoring birds for treatment success had poor sensitivity. Toxicity associated with drug therapy was not observed in these doves nor in 6 outwardly healthy ring-neck doves exposed to the same treatment. The results of this study showed that this protocol of azithromycin, rifampin, and ethambutol has poor efficacy when administered for 180 days for treatment of doves infected with M avium subsp avium.

Increased STAT5 signaling in the ring dove brain in response to prolactin administration and spontaneous elevations in prolactin during the breeding cycle

Prolactin acts on target cells in the central nervous system (CNS) to stimulate behavioral changes associated with parental care in birds, but the signaling mechanisms that mediate these actions have not been characterized. In mammals, the Janus Kinase 2–Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 (JAK2–STAT5) signaling pathway mediates many of the actions of prolactin. To assess the importance of this pathway in prolactin-sensitive target cells in the avian brain, we measured changes in activated (phosphorylated) STAT5 (pSTAT5) in the forebrain of female ring doves sampled as plasma prolactin levels change during the breeding cycle and in prolactin-treated, non-breeding females. The anatomical distribution of cells exhibiting pSTAT5 immunoreactivity in dove brain closely paralleled the distribution of prolactin receptors in this species. The density of pSTAT5 immunoreactive (pSTAT5-ir) cells was highest in the preoptic area, the suprachiasmatic, paraventricular, and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei, the lateral and tuberal hypothalamic regions, the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the lateral septum. Mean pSTAT5-ir cell densities in these eight brain areas were several fold higher in breeding females during late incubation/early post-hatching when plasma prolactin levels have been observed to peak than in non-breeding females or breeding females sampled at earlier stages when prolactin titers have been reported to be lower. Similar differences were observed between prolactin-treated and vehicle-treated females in all three of the forebrain regions that were compared. We conclude that JAK2–STAT5 signaling is strongly activated in response to prolactin stimulation in the ring dove brain and could potentially mediate some of the centrally-mediated behavioral effects of this hormone.

Specific neural representation for a conceptual set of behavior: pair bonding [Corrigendum

Specific neural representation for a conceptual set of behavior: pair bonding [Corrigendum] Dios AM, Alexander K, Hanson SJ, Cheng MF. Research and Reports in Biology. 2013:4 33–38.On page 1, Abstract, first sentence,"Our study examines whether ZENK expression in the nucleus taeniae (avian amygdala) serves as a predictor for pair bonding in ring doves." Should read as"Our study examines whether ZENK expression in the nucleus taeniae (avian amygdala) serves as a predictor for pair bonding in ring doves (Streptoplia risoria)." On page 1, Introduction, 2nd sentence, "Aside from aiding male parental care,1 a pair bond functions in insuring paternity1 and in aiding provisioning (Schwagmeyer and Mock D).4" Should read as "Aside from aiding male parental care,1 a pair bond functions in insuring paternity and in aiding provisioning.1–4" On page 34, under the heading "Stimulus preference test", the sentence,"Doves in both groups were put through a y-shaped preference test developed by our laboratory (Figure 1)." Should read as "Doves in both groups were put through a y-shaped preference test developed by our laboratory (Figure 1).26"On page 34, fifth paragraph, first sentence,"In experiment 1, we looked at whether ZENK counts in the taeniae were able to classify both male and female doves as pair bonded or not." Should read as"In experiment 1, we looked at whether ZENK counts in the taeniae were able to classify both male and female ring doves Streptoplia risoria) as pair bonded or not." On page 37, second paragraph in the right column, first sentence,"The taeniae is ideally connected for behaviors associated with reproductive strategies via various distinct regions of the archistriatum, the nucleus accumbens, and other areas responsible for visual and olfactory input (Cheng et al 1999).21" Should read as "The taeniae is ideally connected for behaviors associated with reproductive strategies via various distinct regions of the archistriatum, the nucleus accumbens, and other areas responsible for visual and olfactory input.21" Reference 6, "Marazziti D, Dell’Osso B, Baroni S, et al. A relationship between oxytocin and anxiety of romantic attachment. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2006;2:28.", should have been deleted. All citations in the text, from reference 6 should have been renumbered accordingly.Read the original article