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... A farm of meat turkeys was affected by a condition, clinically characterized by unilateral inflammation of the orbital region and progressive crossing of the beak, observed in three successive flocks in 2010. While no toxic, genetic, technical, or diet causes could be found, pathologic and bacteriologic analyses were conducted to investigate the case. Pathologic analyses of the heads of affected b ...
... Leaf spots and stem lesions causing widespread mortality of Caspian Sea karelinia (Karelinia caspia) were observed in desert regions of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. Fifteen samples were collected from five widely distributed counties of Tarim and Junggar Basins in 2016. The pathogen was identified using morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses based on combined partial seq ...
Cacatua sulphurea; Cryptococcus gattii; beak; birds; brain; coasts; fluconazole; genotype; lungs; males; mammals; microbial culture; minimum inhibitory concentration; necropsy; spleen; subtropics; Africa; Australia; Quebec; South America; South East Asia
Abstract:
... Cryptococcus gattii infection in mammals and birds has been confined historically to tropical and subtropical regions in Australia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America. Since the early 2000s, numerous reports describe the emergence of C. gattii on the Pacific Coast of North America. We report on a C. gattii infection in an 8-year-old male citron-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea citrinocri ...
... The nature of feather inclusions was characterized in 32 psittacine birds (30 cockatoos, one peachfaced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis), and one red-lored Amazon parrot (Amazona autumnalis autumnalis)) with naturally-acquired psittacine beak and feather disease. Intranuclear inclusions within feather epithelial cells and intracytoplasmic inclusions within macrophages in the feather epithelium and ...
Gruidae; beak; birds; fossils; grasslands; skeleton; France
Abstract:
... A skeleton of a chicken-sized crane precursor is described from the Lower Oligocene of the Lubéron in Southern France. Parvigrus pohli gen. et sp. nov. is the most substantial Paleogene fossil record of the Grues (Aramidae [limpkin] + Gruidae [cranes]), and among its oldest representatives. The fossil species is classified in the new taxon Parvigruidae, which is shown to be the sister group of ext ...
... Several hypotheses explain how sensory, anatomical and physiological constraints drive fruit preference in frugivores. Optimal diet theory (ODT) states that frugivores make decisions based on the energy contained in food. In contrast, geometry of nutrition (GN) states that animals balance their macronutrient intake instead, opting for rough energy. The defence trade-off hypothesis (DTH) assumes a ...
... The foraging behaviour of the Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and the Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus was studied during summer and autumn in the western Italian Alps. We assessed feeding times, feeding rates and foraging techniques associated with different foraging habitats. The Alpine Chough is mainly a ground surface feeder, stays for a rela-tively short time at a feeding site (on average 2. ...
... Although some information is available on how calanoid copepods collect and handle food, there is very little information on the labrum and paragnaths, structures that are the last to receive food before trituration and ingestion. Five species were used to examine the nature of and differences between the labrum-paragnath complex, species with a variety of feeding modes ranging from detritivore to ...
... Beak size and shape in Darwin’s finches have traditionally been quantified using a few univariate measurements (length, depth, width). Here we show the improved inferential resolution of geometric morphometric methods, as applied to three hierarchical levels: (i) among seven species on Santa Cruz Island, (ii) among different sites on Santa Cruz for a single species (Geospiza fortis), and (iii) bet ...
... Feather pecking (FP) is a significant issue in laying hens, which impacts societal acceptance of poultry farming, farm productivity, and bird welfare. Environmental enrichment—modifications of the environment to stimulate biological functioning and psychological well-being of animals—is one management strategy farmers can use to mitigate FP. However, inconsistent results of environmental enrichmen ...
... To investigate phylogenetic relationships within the grass subfamily Pooideae we studied about 50 taxa covering all recognized tribes, using one plastid DNA (cpDNA) marker (matK gene–3′trnK exon) and for the first time four nuclear single copy gene loci. DNA sequence information from two parts of the nuclear genes topoisomerase 6 (Topo6) spanning the exons 8–13 and 17–19, the exons 9–13 encoding p ...
Beak and feather disease virus; beak; feathers; genes; genotype; parakeets; parrots; phylogeny; viruses; Australia; Europe; New Zealand; Thailand
Abstract:
... Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) is a viral disease distributed worldwide with a potentially critical impact on many rare parrots. While efforts have been made to determine its prevalence in wild and captive psittacines, only limited work has been done to document complete genomes of its causative agent, beak and feather disease virus (BFDV). Here, we describe five full genomes of BFDV i ...
... The paper describes a complete specimen of a passerine bird from the early Oligocene of Poland, preserved as imprints of bones and feathers on two slabs. Crosnoornis nargizia gen. et sp. nov. is just the fifth passerine species described from the Paleogene worldwide and the fourth complete. The features preserved in the distal elements of the wing exclude Acanthisittidae and Oscines and indicate t ...
Tetraodontiformes; beak; bones; data collection; fins; fish; loci; nucleotides; phylogeny
Abstract:
... Tetraodontiform fishes represent one of the most peculiar radiations of teleost fishes. In spite of this, we do not currently have a consensus on the phylogenetic relationships among the major tetraodontiform lineages, with different morphological and molecular datasets all supporting contrasting relationships. In this paper we present the results of the analysis of tetraodontiform interrelationsh ...
... Animals make use of the Earth's magnetic field for navigation and regulation of vegetative functions; however, the anatomical and physiological basis for the magnetic sense has not been elucidated yet. Our recent results from histology and X-ray analyses support the hypothesis that delicate iron-containing structures in the skin of the upper beak of homing pigeons might serve as a biological magne ...
... Apomixis represents an alteration of classical sexual plant reproduction to produce seeds that have essentially clonal embryos. In this report, hickory (Carya cathayensis Sarg.), which is an important oil tree, is identified as a new apomictic species. The ovary has a chamber containing one ovule that is unitegmic and orthotropous. Embryological investigations indicated that the developmental patt ...
in vivo studies; beak; broiler chickens; screening; barcoding; weight gain; ownership; industry; animal welfare; readability; food chain; fraud; traceability
Abstract:
... The feasibility of using DataMatrix (DM) barcodes laser printed onto the beaks of poultry as a possible method of identification and therefore traceability of the individual was examined in this study, including a preliminary live trial on broiler chicks in a commercial environment. In vitro trials were initially conducted to select the optimal laser type and the optimal laser settings for this pa ...
... A preliminary study on the potential application of electronic tracking in poultry in vivo has been conducted. The experimental procedure for this study was based on previous in vitro findings () as part of the same research programme. The study consisted of two phases whereby an initial experiment using inkjet printing of 10×10 DataMatrix barcodes onto the beaks of broiler chickens in a live comm ...
Jungermanniopsida; beak; national parks; perianth; Guyana
Abstract:
... Pictolejeunea piconii Pócs is described from the Canaima National Park in Venezuelan Guyana. It differs from the previously known five species by its sharply refracted lobe, by the parallelly elongated cells of free lobule margin, by the broad reniform underleaves of 2–3x stem width with rounded lobes and by its perianth with auriculate wings, fimbriately dentate margin and exserted beak. ...
... We describe a partial skull of a very large crane from the early late Miocene (Tortonian) hominid locality Hammerschmiede in southern Germany, which is the oldest fossil record of the Gruinae (true cranes). The fossil exhibits an unusual preservation in that only the dorsal portions of the neurocranium and beak are preserved. Even though it is, therefore, very fragmentary, two morphological charac ...
Diomedeidae; Pliocene epoch; beak; extinction; fauna; new species; piscivores; seabirds; skull; squid; New Zealand
Abstract:
... We describe a nearly complete, three‐dimensionally preserved skull of a new albatross species from the late Pliocene (3.0–3.4 million years ago) Tangahoe Formation of New Zealand. Aldiomedes angustirostris, n. gen. et sp. has only about 90% of the length of the skull of the smallest extant albatross and is the geologically youngest record of a small‐sized albatross known to date. The new species i ...
Beak and feather disease virus; beak; budgerigars; farms; feathers; genome; genotype; sequence analysis; South Africa; Thailand
Abstract:
... Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), the causative agent of psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) infects psittaciformes worldwide. We provide an annotated sequence record of three full-length unique genomes of BFDV isolates from budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) from a breeding farm in South Africa. The isolates share >99% nucleotide sequence identity with each other and ~96% nucleotid ...
... Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease is commonly diagnosed all over the world as a viral disease of psittacine birds that primarily results in abnormalities of the feathers and beak. The clinical presentation of this disease varies between species and age groups, but in the majority of cases the course of the disease is chronic. This case report documents an acute form of the disease in African Gre ...
Chloropyron maritimum subsp. maritimum; adaptive management; annuals; beak; bees; birds; canopy; case studies; conservation areas; desalination; germination; global warming; grasses; indigenous species; introduced plants; littoral zone; monitoring; parasitism; perennials; pollinators; rain; regression analysis; reproduction; roots; salt marsh plants; salt marshes; temperature; tides; upland soils; California
Abstract:
... In theory, extirpated plant species can be reintroduced and managed to restore sustainable populations. However, few reintroduced plants are known to persist for more than a few years. Our adaptive‐management case study illustrates how we restored the endangered hemiparasitic annual plant, Chloropyron maritimum subsp. maritimum (salt marsh bird's beak), to Sweetwater Marsh, San Diego Bay National ...
... We recently used genome sequencing to study the evolutionary history of the Darwin's finches. A prominent feature of our data was that different polymorphic sites in the genome tended to indicate different genetic relationships among these closely related species. Such patterns are expected in recently diverged genomes as a result of incomplete lineage sorting. However, we uncovered conclusive evi ...
... Carotenoid-based ornaments (many yellow–orange–red colourations) may signal the genetic or parental quality of the bearer. Thus, their expression could influence the amount of resources/energy that the mate will invest in the production of offspring, thereby optimising its reproductive fitness. The differential allocation hypothesis (DAH) predicts that females mated with more attractive males shou ...
... Modern commercial layer breeds represent the culmination of ~7000 years of natural genetic selection. This selection was driven in former times by a combination of genetic-shift and -drift events, that led to chickens being favoured as domesticated species for meat and egg production. More recently, in the early 20th century, the concept of hybrid vigour was discovered and accelerated the natural ...
... Derzsy’s disease and Muscovy duck parvovirus disease have become common diseases in waterfowl culture in the world and their potential to cause harm has risen. The causative agents are goose parvovirus (GPV) and Muscovy duck parvovirus (MDPV), which can provoke similar clinical symptoms and high mortality and morbidity rates. In recent years, duck short beak and dwarfism syndrome has been prevalen ...
Perales-Raya Catalina; Almansa Eduardo; Bartolomé Aurora; Felipe Beatriz C.; Iglesias José; Sánchez Francisco Javier; Carrasco José Francisco; Rodríguez Carmen
... This study demonstrates the daily deposition of increments in Octopus vulgaris beaks for both lateral wall surfaces (LWS) and rostrum sagittal sections (RSS). Forty-nine marked wild animals kept in aquaria (weight range, 158–3,521 g) and 24 captive-reared known-age individuals (paralarvae, 0–98 days old; adults, 200–734 days old) were studied, encompassing for the first time the full age range of ...
Octopodidae; analysis of covariance; animals; beak; diet; juveniles; periodicity
Abstract:
... The present study was carried out to validate the daily deposition and age estimation by using beak rostrum sagittal sections increments of cultivated Octopus maya (Voss and Solís, 1966). This study validates for first time the periodicity of beak increments by using animals of known age. We analyzed the rostrum sagittal sections (RSS) of upper and lower beaks in 40 juveniles of O. maya divided in ...
... The beak is a hard structure of cephalopods with relatively constant shape, which records a lot of biological and ecological information. Based on samples collected by Chinese squid jigging vessels off the Peruvian Exclusive Economic Zone from July to October 2013, we explored the feasibility of age estimation and growth pattern with the upper beak of Dosidicus gigas. The internal rostral axis and ...
... Early blight is a common disease of Solanaceae crops worldwide. The occurrence of Alternaria spp. was studied during three epidemics on tomato in northwestern Algeria. Alternaria was detected in more than 80 % of the diseased plant samples and accounted for more than 50 % of the total fungal isolates recovered from these samples. Morphological and molecular investigations revealed that small-spore ...
... Amygdalus triloba (Rosaceae; previously Prunus triloba) is a deciduous, flowering shrub that is widely used in the greening and beautification of lawns, parks, and courtyards in China. In late May 2019, a leaf spot disease of A. triloba was observed on approximately 35% of plants in the Xinjiang Alaer city (40°33′20′′N, 81°17′19′′E). The disease symptoms began as small, suborbicular, brown spots o ...
... A female American kestrel (Falco spaverius) fledgling was found on the ground with a suspected trauma to the right eye and open-mouth breathing. During the first 2 days of hospitalization, the bird developed severe bilateral periorbital cellulitis, blepharoedema, and sinusitis. The periocular tissues of the right globe were devitalized and communicated with a fistula at the commissure of the right ...
... A near-complete, partially articulated skeleton of a hummingbird was recently found in the menilite shales of the Polish Flysh Carpathians. The specimen is dated to the Early Oligocene (Rupelian, approx. 31 Myr). It shares derived characters with extant hummingbirds and plesiomorphic characters with swifts. Its long, thin beak and short and stout humerus and ulna are typical for hummingbirds, but ...
... Duck-origin parvovirus disease is an epidemic disease mainly caused by duck-origin goose parvovirus (D-GPV), which is characterized by beak atrophy and dwarfism syndrome. Its main symptoms are persistent diarrhea, skeletal dysplasia, and growth retardation. However, the pathogenesis of Cherry Valley ducks infected by D-GPV has not been studied thoroughly. To perceive the distribution of D-GPV in t ...
... Birds are thought to possess two magnetosensory systems: (1) a chemical sensor in the bird’s eye, and (2) a magnetoreceptor innervated by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve (V1) and presumably located in the upper beak. It has been recently demonstrated that the visually mediated magnetosensory system is crucial to the magnetic compass of the European Robin (Erithacus rubecula). In cont ...
... Research on intersexual selection focuses on traits that have evolved for attracting mates and the consequences of mate choice. However, little is known about the cognitive and neural mechanisms that allow choosers to discriminate among potential mates and express an attraction to specific traits. Preferential use of the right eye during lateral displays in zebra finches, and lateralized expressio ...
... Spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria in natural environments pose a risk to human and animal health. Wild birds are considered to be reservoirs of human pathogens and vectors of antimicrobial resistance distribution in the environment. The aim of this study is to assess the occurrence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in isolates from bird specimens living in three agro-pastoral areas of t ...
... Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD), caused by beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is a highly contagious disease in wild and captive psittacine populations and has an almost global presence. However, the BFDV infection in Saudi Arabia remains largely unknown. In the present study, we report the full genome sequence of BFDV strains from Saudi Arabia and its genetic diversity. The complete ...
... This study attested the anatomical and morphometrical descriptions of the nasal cavity in duck, goose as the aquatic birds and quail, dove as the non-aquatic birds. This study elucidated in the aquatic birds that the nasal cavity remarkable increased in width caudally and had relatively larger nasal conchae and greater of the middle nasal concha than the non-aquatic birds. The nostrils without ope ...
... The increased demographic performance of biological invaders may often depend on their escape from specifically adapted enemies. Here we report that native taxa in colonized regions may swiftly evolve to exploit such emancipated exotic species because of selection caused by invaders. A native Australian true bug has expanded it host range to include a vine imported from tropical America that has b ...
Eudyptula minor; beak; chicks; fledglings; islands; nestlings; seasonal variation; Western Australia
Abstract:
... Four linear measurements and body mass were used to measure the growth of Little Penguin Eudytula minor nestlings on Penguin Island, Western Australia, from 1989 to 1991. In general, beak length and beak depth increased more slowly than flipper and tarsus lengths, and body mass increased rapidly. Growth rates did not differ significantly between years. However, second-hatched chicks grew more slow ...
... Pathogenic microorganisms select for a plethora of defensive mechanisms on their hosts. In males of some species, flashy traits might signal antimicrobial capacity and, thus, they might be favoured in scenarios of sexual selection. Antimicrobial capacity of individuals may predict reproductive success in males, and it could be adapted to changing environments. However, evidence for these associati ...
Jackson, G. D.; Bustamante, P.; Cherel, Y.; Fulton, E. A.; Grist, E. P. M.; Jackson, C. H.; Nichols, P. D.; Pethybridge, H.; Phillips, K.; Ward, R. D.; Xavier, J. C.
Cephalopoda; DNA barcoding; beak; biologists; ecosystems; fatty acids; food chain; heavy metals; models; parasites; population dynamics; researchers; squid; stable isotopes; taxonomy; tracer techniques; Tasmania
Abstract:
... A two day workshop on Southern Ocean cephalopods was held in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia prior to the triennial 2006 Cephalopod International Advisory Council (CIAC) symposium. The workshop provided a second international forum to present the current state of research and new directions since the last Southern Ocean cephalopod meeting held in 1993. A major focus of the workshop was trophic ecology ...
... Spontaneous droplet transport without mass loss has great potential applications in the fields of energy and biotechnology, but it remains challenging due to the difficulty in obtaining a sufficient driving force for the transport while suppressing droplet mass loss. Learning from the slippery peristome of Nepenthes alata and wedge topology of a shorebird beak that can spontaneously feed water aga ...
... An attempt has been made to gather a firsthand information regarding the various aspects of the breeding biology of Cattle Egrets like courtship displays, location and selection of nesting site, egg laying, egg characteristics, clutch size, incubation period, hatching, nesting success, hatching success, nest life, weaning period etc. The breeding period was discerned to be starting from March to J ...
aggression; beak; eggs; feet; females; flocks; hatching; human-wildlife relations; males; nesting; nests; radio telemetry; solar radiation; temperature; waterfowl; wings
Abstract:
... The period between clutch initiation and departure of family groups from successful Magpie Goose nests ranged from 31 to 33 d. Incubation period was 25 days and family groups remained at the nest up to 4 d after the first egg hatched. Hatching was poorly synchronised relative to many other waterfowl, probably due to variable but often elevated egg temperatures (up to 36.6°C) during the 5–10 d layi ...
... Despite the intensive genetic selection in modern poultry, variability of domestic fowl phenotypes has remained, especially in breeds adapted to local conditions. The relevance of this variability to the chicken outdoor ranging activities remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate if external features were associated with the ranging frequency of the 48 female chickens from each of ...
Astragalus; Willdenowia; beak; conservation status; flowers; leaves; legumes; new species; pedicel; photographs; racemes; scanning electron microscopy; Iran; Turkey (country)
Abstract:
... Astragalus ihsancalisii Dönmez & Uğurlu (Fabaceae) is described as a new species from Erzurum province in E Turkey. The new species belongs to A. sect. Incani DC. and is similar and possibly related to A.glaucophyllus Bunge and A.guzelsuensis F. Ghahrem. & al. from Turkey and A.siahcheshmehensis Maassoumi & Podlech from Iran. Astragalus ihsancalisii is clearly distinguished from those three specie ...
Astragalus; beak; calyx; flowering; hairs; legumes; new species; scientific illustration; taxon descriptions; China
Abstract:
... Astragalus nuoergongensis L.Q. Zhao & Xu Ri (Fabaceae), a new species from Inner Mongolia and Ningxia, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically quite similar especially to A. scabrisetus, but its calyx is densely covered with appressed bifurcate hairs, its calyx teeth are 1/2–3/4 the length of the calyx tube, and its legumes are covered with appressed bifurcate hairs and have a b ...
batteries; beak; birds; feathers; flight; habitats; mastication; molting; monitoring; research projects; risk; satellites; tail; wildlife; United States
Abstract:
... Context Studying interactions between a wildlife species and its spatial environment can enable a deeper understanding of its ecology. Studies of spatial ecology are generally undertaken by attaching tracking devices to selected individuals and following their movements. Highly mobile species, such as black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus spp.), that occupy habitats with patchy resources are ideal cand ...
... BACKGROUND: Avian keratin disorder (AKD) is an epizootic of debilitating beak deformities, first documented in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska during the late 1990s. Similar deformities have now been recorded in dozens of species of birds across multiple continents. Despite this, the etiology of AKD has remained elusive, making it difficult to assess the impacts of this di ...
... The prevalence of vector-borne parasitic diseases is widely influenced by biological and ecological factors. Environmental conditions such as temperature and precipitation can have a marked effect on haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium spp.) that cause malaria and those that cause other malaria-like diseases in birds. However, there have been few long-term studies monitoring haemosporidian infect ...
beak; foregut; ribosomal RNA; phylogeny; digestion; scanning electron microscopy; genes; cows; odors; new genus; fermentation; Entodiniomorphida; transmission electron microscopy; Eubacteria; Dasytricha; taxonomic revisions; Balantioides; Isotricha; birds; staining; Archaea; vegetation
Abstract:
... The hoatzin is the only known avian species that has evolved a foregut fermentation system similar to that of ruminant animals. Due to the closeness of the bird’s fermentation chamber, the crop, to the bird’s beak it exudes an unpleasant odour; therefore, the hoatzin is called the “cow among the birds”. In addition to Eubacteria and Archaea, responsible for digestion of the vegetation they consume ...
... A common method for assessing the competitiveness of animals, especially in birds, is to pit pairs of unfamiliar individuals against each other in contests for limited resources under controlled conditions. Although this approach can clarify dominant–subordinate relationships within dyads, it is often difficult to determine competitiveness for a large group of individuals. Here, by using Bayesian ...
... Beak abnormalities have been reported in a wide range of species but typically affect only a small portion (<1%) of wild bird populations. Most research has focused on the prevalence, morphology, and causes of beak deformities, resulting in relatively little information on the consequences of these deformities for individual birds. Birds with abnormal beaks likely struggle to feed themselves, a si ...
... BACKGROUND: This paper describes the pathology associated with psittacine beak and feather disease in a wild sulphur‐crested cockatoo with concurrent knemidocoptic mange, cestodiasis and mycotic encephalitis. METHODS & RESULTS: Large numbers of Knemidocoptes pilae Lavoipierre and Griffiths, 1951 (Acari: Epidermoptidae, Knemidokoptinae) were identified in affected skin associated with enhanced expr ...
Beak and feather disease virus; aviculture; beak; diagnostic techniques; epidemiological studies; flocks; immunologic techniques; parrots; screening; trade; viruses; Africa; Asia; North America; South America
Abstract:
... Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) has emerged in recent years as a major threat to wild parrot populations and is an increasing concern to aviculturists and managers of captive populations. Pathological and serological tests for screening for the presence of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) are a critical component of efforts to manage the disease and of epidemiological studies. Sinc ...
Beak and feather disease virus; beak; feathers; parrots; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; viral load; South Africa
Abstract:
... Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD), the most prevalent viral disease affecting psittacines, is caused by beak and feather disease virus (BFDV). This study assessed viral load using qPCR in a wild Cape parrot population affected by PBFD and compared it to overall physical condition based on clinical signs attributable to PBFD. A significant inverse correlation between viral load and overall ...
Beak and feather disease virus; beak; blood; breeding; budgerigars; coat proteins; disease outbreaks; feathers; genome; parrots; phylogeny; risk; viruses; South Africa
Abstract:
... Captive and wild psittacines are vulnerable to the highly contagious psittacine beak and feather disease. The causative agent, beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), was recently detected in the largest remaining population of endangered Cape parrots (Poicepahlus robustus), which are endemic to South Africa. Full-length genomes were isolated and sequenced from 26 blood samples collected from wild ...
... Many colourful sexually selected signals in animals are carotenoid-dependent and, because carotenoids function as antiradicals and immunostimulating molecules, carotenoid-dependent signals may honestly reflect the health state of individuals. Some others nutrients like vitamin A may also enhance health and colouration, but these have rarely been tested alongside carotenoids in colourful birds. Her ...
beak; stocking rate; laying hens; Menacanthus stramineus; parasitoses; spatial distribution; mites; White Leghorn; population density; beak trimming; lice; body condition; cages; Ornithonyssus sylviarum
Abstract:
... Adult White Leghorn hens (Hy-Line strain W-36) were inoculated with either northern fowl mites or chicken body lice, and the ectoparasite populations were monitored over periods of 9 to 16 wk. Two beak conditions (beak trimmed or beak intact) and 2 housing densities (1 or 2 hens per 25 x 31 cm suspended wire cage) were tested. Populations of both ectoparasites were at least 10 times lower on beak- ...
Octopodidae; analysis of variance; artificial intelligence; beak; discriminant analysis; fisheries; geometry; morphometry; East China Sea
Abstract:
... Octopus is the most abundant genus in the family Octopodidae and accounts for more than half of the total cephalopod landing in neritic fisheries. A taxonomic problem still exists due to synonymous scientific names and limited genetic information. The cephalopod beak is a stable structure that allows an effective solution to the problem of the species and stock identification. Beak shape variation ...
... Keratoacanthoma is a common cutaneous neoplasia in humans that most often occurs on sun exposed sites and is considered a rapidly growing pseudomalignancy, resembling squamous cell carcinoma.Beak keratoacanthomas were diagnosed in two birds from two different households: in a 10-year-old male and in a 1-year-old male budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). The main clinical findings in both birds we ...
... Birds are believed to be one of the principal predators of butterflies. The beak marks (BMs) left on the butterfly wings are useful indices of bird predation. We performed 84 collections in grasslands and woodlands during 2002-2006 in Ito, Shizuoka prefecture, and collected 893 specimens belonging to 48 species. In general, the larger was the body size the higher was the BM rate. There were two pe ...
... Beak marks on butterfly wings have been used as an indicator of predation pressure. The relationship between butterflies and their predators in the field was examined to evaluate the beak mark rate as an indicator of predation pressure. Transect censuses were conducted to measure the beak mark rate on butterflies from May to November, 2010, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. A total of 1216 butterflies o ...
... Octopus vulgaris is a viable candidate for commercial aquaculture, but rearing procedures might stress individuals and result in diminished growth and survival. This study investigated the relationship between possible stress sources (tank transposition and syphoning) when rearing O. vulgaris paralarvae and the deposition pattern of growth increments in their beak microstructure. Light intensity a ...
Fringillidae; assortative mating; beak; correlation; natural selection; population size; songbirds
Abstract:
... Animal mating signals evolve in part through indirect natural selection on anatomical traits that influence signal expression. In songbirds, for example, natural selection on beak form and function can influence the evolution of song features, because of the role of the beak in song production. In this study we characterize the relationship between beak morphology and song features within a bimoda ...
Loxia curvirostra; Pinus uncinata; beak; conifers; food intake; forests; immigration; mark-recapture studies; models; mortality; natural selection; Northern European region
Abstract:
... Dozens of morphologically differentiated populations, subspecies and species of crossbills (genus Loxia) exist. It has been suggested that this divergence is due to variation in the conifer cones that each population specialises upon, requiring a specific beak size to efficiently separate the cone scales. If so, apparent survival should depend on beak size. To test this hypothesis, we undertook mu ...
... Proliferative growth, consistent with poxvirus infection, encapsulated plastic beak-bits and covered the dorsal portion of the upper beak and nares of adult male and female captive-raised Hungarian partridges. Three representative birds were submitted to the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for necropsy. Lesions in the necropsied birds extended through the nares, where the plastic bit en ...
... Darwin’s finches are an iconic example of adaptive radiation. The size and shape of the beaks of different finch species are diversified for feeding on different size seeds and other food resources. However, beaks also serve other functions, such as preening for the control of ectoparasites. In diverse groups of birds, the effectiveness of preening is governed by the length of the overhanging tip ...
turkeys; beak trimming; body weight; mortality; line differences; gender differences; beak
Abstract:
... An experiment was designed to compare BW and mortality of turkeys when three methods of beak trimming were utilized. Turkeys from six genetic lines were assigned to three beak trimming methods: are beak trimming at hatching, hot-blade block trimming at 13 d, or hot-blade top-beak-only trimming at 13 d. Beak trimming method influenced 8-wk BW of three lines of females, but did not affect female BW ...
... An experiment was conducted to study the effects of arc beak trimming on feed consumption, weight gain, and feed wastage in males and females from two large-bodied strains and one medium-bodied strain of turkeys. Birds were placed in wire-floored battery cages from 3 to 8 wk of age and feed intake, weight gains, and feed spilled into dropping pans were recorded for each of the 5 wk of each trial. ...
... Life-history theory assumes that selection favors parents that can maximize their reproductive success via behavioral strategies. As brood size determines the reproductive value of each nestling, parents may adjust their food-allocation patterns according to brood size. We test this assumption in the Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris (L., 1758)). Our findings revealed that nestling begging forms v ...
aggression; beak; interspecific competition; territoriality; tropical birds; Peru
Abstract:
... Does competition influence patterns of coexistence between closely related taxa? Here we address this question by analyzing patterns of range overlap between related species of birds (‘sister pairs’) co‐occurring on a tropical elevational gradient. We explicitly contrast the behavioral dimension of interspecific competition (interference competition) with similarity in resource acquisition traits ...
... The effect of fruit removal and passage through the digestive tract of frugivorous birds on seed germination has been mostly studied in species that swallow the whole fruit without mandibulating (“gulpers”), and defecate or regurgitate seeds without pulp away from the maternal plant. Functional groups with other fruit-handling methods, while often quantitatively important in removing fruits, are p ...
beak; biomarkers; clams; cost effectiveness; deformation; environmental health; environmental indicators; exoskeleton; ligaments; males; population; sex ratio; spatial variation; water pollution; Baltic Sea; Sweden
Abstract:
... This study reports the occurrence of shell deformities in the Baltic clam Macoma balthica from the Northern Baltic Sea (Trösa Archipelago, Sweden). The functional significance and the bioindicative potential of observed exoskeleton’ anomalies was assessed using a suite of physiological and morphological biomarkers. Analyzed shell deformations (SD) included damages of the dorsal margin visible as s ...
Coleoptera; beak; collectors; fog (meteorology); glass; grasses; silica; water harvesting; wire
Abstract:
... In a recent work, we explored the feeding mechanism of a shorebird to transport liquid drops by repeatedly opening and closing its beak. In this work, we apply the corresponding results to develop a new artificial fog collector. The collector includes two nonparallel plates. It has three advantages in comparison with existing artificial collectors: (i) easy fabrication, (ii) simple design to scale ...
... Inspired by the water-enhanced mechanical gradient character of the squid beak, we herein report a nanocomposite that mimics both the architecture and properties of this interesting natural material. Similar to the squid beak, we have developed nanocomposites where the degree of cross-linking is controlled along the length of the film. In this study, we utilized tunicate cellulose nanocrystals as ...
... It is supposed that coloration may affect the recognition of predators by prey species; nevertheless, the significance of the coloration and its particular components in the recognition process remains unknown. We presented dummies of the European sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) with changed body coloration, but with all other typical features preserved (body size and shape, beak, eyes, legs), to gr ...
... Many different seabirds including terns have black color at the tip of their beak, but a yellow, orange, or red color of the rest of the beak. The tip of the beak of Arctic terns Sterna paradisaea is black, while the rest of the beak is deep red during the breeding season. We hypothesized that the black coloration of the tip of the beak is a reliable signal of phenotypic quality maintained by the ...
... The study reported in this manuscript is a part of extended investigations on transmission of fungi potentially pathogenic to man as well as parasitic flatworms and nematodes by wild fowl. The objective of this study was to identify the presence of fungi and parasites in the gastrointestinal tract of cormorants. Mycological and parasitological analyses were carried out on swabs taken from ontoceno ...
... We measured serum chemistries in wild Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) from Alaska to test for potential differences associated with beak deformities characteristic of avian keratin disorder. Lower uric acid in affected birds was the only difference detected between groups, although sample sizes were small. This difference could be associated with fasting or malnutrition in birds wit ...
Candida krusei; Passer domesticus; adults; beak; body condition; body weight; fungi; hemoglobin; juveniles; mycoses; rural areas; tail; urban population
Abstract:
... Mycoses of wild birds are rarely addressed in scientific research. We tested the hypothesis that urban populations of House Sparrow Passer domesticus, which in many cities showed downward trends in their number and are characterized by lower body mass and poorer body condition, would be more frequently colonized by fungi. To evaluate the degree of bird colonization by fungi, swabs were taken from ...
Puffinus; adults; beak; breeding; burrows; coasts; eggs; fecundity; fledglings; growth models; hatching; juveniles; longline fisheries; mortality; reproductive success; seabirds; soil; tarsus (bone); New Zealand; Western Australia
Abstract:
... The Flesh-footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes) is a pelagic seabird that breeds predominantly around southern Australia and New Zealand. Its breeding biology is poorly known, particularly in Western Australia where the species is known to have suffered mortality during long-line fishing operations. We studied the breeding biology of the Flesh-footed Shearwater on Woody Island, off the southern c ...
Jesse S. Krause; Helen E. Chmura; Jonathan H. Pérez; Lisa N. Quach; Ashley Asmus; Karen R. Word; Michaela A. McGuigan; Shannan K. Sweet; Simone L. Meddle; Laura Gough; Natalie Boelman; John C. Wingfield
arthropods; beak; biomass; birds; body condition; body size; breeding; females; glucocorticoids; males; molting; morphometry; muscles; phenotype; stress response; temperature
Abstract:
... Individuals at the forefront of a range shift are likely to exhibit phenotypic traits that distinguish them from the population breeding within the historic range. Recent studies have examined morphological, physiological and behavioral phenotypes of individuals at the edge of their range. Several studies have found differences in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity in response ...
... Stress and leg weakness are detrimental to broiler production, health, and welfare. Traditional methods to evaluate stress may be stressful to the bird because they are invasive and require handling and restraint. Two studies examined the effects of light intensity and flooring on the following in broilers: 1) traditional methods for assessing stress using heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios and serum ...
... Hornbills (Bucorvidae and Bucerotidae) are among the most recognizable groups of birds. Their large, curved beak topped by a casque is their most obvious feature. Here, we describe the earliest fossil of a hornbill, and more precisely a Bucerotidae, from the early Miocene of Napak, Uganda. This fossil is a proximal part of a maxilla that can be tentatively assigned to the genus Tockus and which at ...
... Understanding of ecosystem structure and functioning requires detailed knowledge about plant–animal interactions, especially when keystone species are involved. The recent consideration of parrots as legitimate seed dispersers has widened the range of mechanisms influencing the life cycle of many plant species. We examined the interactions between the burrowing parrot Cyanoliseus patagonus and two ...
... Commercial laying hens are prone to injurious pecking (IP), a common multifactorial problem. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design assessed the effects of breed (Lohmann Brown Classic (L) or Hyline Brown (H)), beak treatment (infra-red treated (T) or not (NT)), and environment (extra enrichment (EE) or no extra enrichment (NE)) on mortality, behaviour, feather cover, and beak shape. Hens were allocated to ...
... An epornitie of canary pox occurred in white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelli), golden-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla), and house sparrows (Passer domesticus), which had been caught in the wild and were being studied in laboratories. Of 900 exposed birds, 100 died naturally with the disease and 200 with clinical signs, and their 600 cage mates were killed. The earliest ...
B. D. Gartrell; R. Collen; J. E. Dowding; H. Gummer; S. Hunter; E. J. King; L. Laurenson; C. D. Lilley; K. J. Morgan; H. M. McConnell; K. Simpson; J. M. Ward
... Context Oil spills cause significant detrimental impacts on many shoreline species. There is limited information in the scientific literature about the management and response of shorebirds to oil spills. Northern New Zealand dotterels (Charadrius obscurus aquilonius) were pre-emptively captured as part of the oiled wildlife response to the container vessel Rena oil spill, to ensure the survival o ...
... We describe Carex socotrana Rěpka & Maděra, a new endemic species found in the Hajhir Mountains on Socotra Island. It differs from the morphologically similar African continental species C. steudneri Boeckeler in having a shorter stem, smaller leaf length and width, completely smooth leaf blades and margins, and pistillate scales without a whitish membranous margin and with distinctive awns at the ...
... Biological materials offer a wide range of multifunctional and structural properties that are currently not achieved in synthetic materials. Herein we report on the synthesis and preparation of bioinspired organic/inorganic composites that mimic the key physicochemical features associated with the mechanical strengthening of both squid beaks and mussel thread coatings using chitosan as an initial ...
... The development of the beak in turtles is poorly known. Beak development has been analyzed by immunofluorescent methods for studying cell proliferation and localization of specific proteins. The flat two-layered epidermis covering the turtle embryo at mid stage of development becomes columnar in the oral region and is associated with an increase of mesenchymal density as in placodes. Using 5BrdU, ...