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Intensity of haemosporidian infection of parids positively correlates with proximity to water bodies, but negatively with host survival

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Abstract

In birds, haemosporidian parasites have been found to have direct pathogenic effects on the host with important consequences for their fitness. However, less is known about distribution patterns of parasite vectors, which may significantly affect parasite prevalence, infection intensity and, thus, pathogenicity in hosts. Here, we tested for relationships between infection intensity, survival, predation and distance from water bodies of mixed-species tit flocks. We found that the prevalence of Haemoproteus and Plasmodium infections decreased with increasing distance from forest lakes and bogs outside the bird breeding season. Haemoproteus and Plasmodium parasites were found to be associated with a low survival rate of willow tits (Poecile montanus) in the vicinity of water bodies, while crested tits (Lophophanes cristatus) were affected only by Haemoproteus. Crested tits, a dominant species of parid social groups, had a lower parasite prevalence and they survived better than the subordinate willow tit. This can be explained by the crested tits foraging higher in the pine canopy as parasite vectors supposedly cannot reach hosts in the upper canopy as equally as in lower parts of the canopy. We show that individuals staying in flocks further from the forest water bodies and spending more time foraging in the upper parts of the canopy have higher chances of survival into the next breeding season. This suggests that different forest and canopy areas may differ in terms of parasite risk and associated mortality. Finally, we found that the infection status of parids increases the probability of predation by the pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum). We conclude that distance from water bodies and foraging location in the forest canopy may affect the intensity of parasite infection with fitness consequences in wintering parids.

Zusammenfassung

Die Intensität von Hämosporidieninfektionen bei Meisen korreliert positiv mit der Nähe zu Gewässern aber negativ mit dem Überleben des Wirts

Bei Vögeln ist gezeigt worden, dass Hämosporidien-Parasiten direkte pathogene Effekte auf den Wirt und wichtige Folgen für seine Fitness haben. Weniger ist jedoch über die Verbreitungsmuster der Parasitenvektoren bekannt, welche die Prävalenz, die Intensität der Infektion und somit die Pathogenität bei Wirten signifikant beeinflussen können. Hier haben wir getestet, ob bei gemischten Meisenschwärmen Zusammenhänge zwischen Infektionsintensität, Überleben, Prädation und Entfernung zu Gewässern bestehen. Wir fanden, dass außerhalb der Brutsaison der Vögel die Prävalenz von Haemoproteus- und Plasmodium-Infektionen mit zunehmender Entfernung von Waldseen und Sümpfen abnahm. Haemoproteus- und Plasmodium-Parasiten waren mit niedrigen Überlebensraten von Weidenmeisen (Poecile montanus) in der Nähe von Gewässern assoziiert, während Haubenmeisen (Lophophanes cristatus) lediglich von Haemoproteus betroffen waren. Haubenmeisen, eine dominante Art in Meisen-Sozialgruppen, hatten geringere Parasiten-Prävalenz und überlebten besser als die rangniedrigeren Weidenmeisen. Dies kann damit erklärt werden, dass die Haubenmeisen weiter oben in den Kronen der Kiefern nach Nahrung suchten und Parasitenvektoren die Wirte weiter oben in der Krone vermutlich nicht so häufig erreichen können wie weiter unten in der Krone. Wir zeigen, dass Individuen, die sich in Schwärmen weiter entfernt von Waldgewässern aufhalten und mehr Zeit damit verbringen, weiter oben in der Krone nach Nahrung zu suchen, höhere Chancen haben, bis zur nächsten Brutsaison zu überleben. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass sich verschiedene Wald- und Kronenbereiche in Bezug auf das Parasitenrisiko und die damit verbundene Sterblichkeit unterscheiden. Schließlich fanden wir, dass der Infektionsstatus von Meisen die Wahrscheinlichkeit von Prädation durch den Sperlingskauz (Glaucidium passerinum) erhöht. Wir folgern, dass die Entfernung zu Gewässern und der Ort der Nahrungssuche in den Baumkronen die Intensität von Parasiteninfektionen bei überwinternden Meisen beeinflusst, was Folgen für ihre Fitness hat.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Aleksejs Osipovs for his help with birds.

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Author notes

  1. Indrikis A. Krams

    Present address: Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Science, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Tatjana Krama

  2. Department of Chemistry and Geography, University of Daugavpils, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia

    Ronalds Krams

  3. Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia

    Dina Cīrule

  4. School of Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, UK

    Fhionna R. Moore

  5. Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Markus J. Rantala

  6. Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Indrikis A. Krams

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Krama, T., Krams, R., Cīrule, D. et al. Intensity of haemosporidian infection of parids positively correlates with proximity to water bodies, but negatively with host survival. J Ornithol 156, 1075–1084 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1206-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1206-5

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