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Between- and within-population drivers of haemosporidian prevalence and diversity in American robins (Turdus migratorius)
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  • Alex Jahn,
  • Jeffrey Bell,
  • Janice Dispoto,
  • Daniela de Angeli Dutra,
  • Alan Fecchio,
  • Ellen Ketterson,
  • Tara Smiley,
  • Taylor Verrett,
  • Jason Weckstein,
  • Emily Williams,
  • Daniel Becker
Alex Jahn
Oregon State University

Corresponding Author:jahna@oregonstate.edu

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Jeffrey Bell
University of North Dakota
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Janice Dispoto
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
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Daniela de Angeli Dutra
University of Otago
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Alan Fecchio
Universidade Federal da Bahia
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Ellen Ketterson
Indiana University Bloomington
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Tara Smiley
Indiana University Bloomington
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Taylor Verrett
University of Oklahoma
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Jason Weckstein
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
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Emily Williams
National Park Service
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Daniel Becker
University of Georgia
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Abstract

Avian haemosporidians are a diverse group of parasites that infect birds worldwide and have been a major focus of research for decades. Yet, few studies have identified the drivers of infection at the intraspecific host level. We aimed to study the drivers of prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites infecting a common North American songbird species, the American Robin (Turdus migratorius), which breeds across most of the continent. We found little seasonal variation in haemosporidian prevalence in robins, although prevalence of Leucocytozoon increases with breeding latitude in this host species. We also detected a significantly positive relationship between the robin breeding latitude and coinfection with different haemosporidian parasite lineages. Additionally, robins infected with Plasmodium had a significantly better body condition than those of uninfected robins, which could be due to migratory culling. When matched against known haemosporidian lineages, our results suggest that robins harbor a higher diversity of haemosporidian parasites than previously known. The results of this study suggest that comparisons of common, widespread bird species such as robins across their range could help unveil novel aspects of the haemosporidian–host relationship and how such a relationship may change under current and future rapid environmental change.
02 Nov 2024Submitted to Journal of Avian Biology
04 Nov 2024Submission Checks Completed
04 Nov 2024Assigned to Editor
04 Nov 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
04 Nov 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned