Showing papers on "Streptopelia published in 2020"

Nest Age as Predictor of Nest Survival in Three Sympatric Dove Species Breeding in a Mediterranean Arid Agroecosystem

Abstract: Identifying the factors that influence nest survival insympatric species is important for the proper and effective management of their breeding populations. We used logistic-exposure models to estimate the daily survival rate and evaluate habitat traits, such as characteristics of trees supporting nests, position of nest in a tree, nesting micro- and macrohabitat, nest timing and weather, that may affect nest survival in Date Palm plantations in Biskra, Algeria. We monitored 68 Laughing Doves Spilopelia senegalensis, 65 Eurasian Collared Doves Streptopelia decaocto and 92 European Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur nests during the 2019 breeding season. Our results showed that daily survival rate was positively associated with nest age for Laughing Dove and Eurasian Collared Dove, whereas a cubic trend was found for European Turtle Dove. Furthermore, daily survival rate of Laughing Doves was associated negatively with nest height and positively with distance to cereal crops. The beginning of the incubation phase is a critical period for nest survival in the three sympatric Columbidae species. However, in the European Turtle Dove, a second period of vulnerability was recorded between the end of the incubation phase and the beginning of the nestling phase, i.e. between day 11 and 18 of the 30-day nesting cycle. Overall, the highest daily survival rates were recorded for Laughing Doves (0.970 ± 0.006 SE) and European Turtle Doves (0.960 ± 0.005), whereas the lowest (0.937 ± 0.004) was found for Eurasian Collared Doves. Laughing doves and, to a lesser degree, European Turtle Doves are better adapted to conditions prevailing in North African Date Palm plantations. Nevertheless, to enhance dove reproduction, management focusing on ensuring the availability of food, water and suitable nesting trees should be undertaken.

Differently sized cuckoos pose different threats to hosts.

Abstract: Hole-nesting tits Parus spp. have been classified as "unsuitable" hosts for cuckoo parasitism because cuckoos cannot enter a cavity if the entrance is too small. However, Chinese tits could reject alien eggs and egg ejection rate increased with the local diversity of parasitic cuckoo species. Antiparasitic behavior among Chinese tits may have evolved due to greater size variation among sympatric cuckoo species. This raises the question of whether differently sized parasitic cuckoos pose different threats to Chinese tits. A green-backed tit Parus monticolus population that is sympatric with Asian emerald cuckoo Chrysococcyx maculatus (eme-cuckoo, small-sized parasite) and common cuckoo Cuculus canorus (com-cuckoo, large-sized parasite), and a cinereous tit P. cinereus population that is only sympatric with com-cuckoo were chosen as study organisms. We observed behavioral response and recorded alarm calls of the 2 tit species to eme-cuckoo, com-cuckoo, chipmunk Tamias sibiricus (a nest predator) and dove Streptopelia orientalis (a harmless control), and subsequently played back alarm calls to conspecific incubating females. In dummy experiments, both tit species performed intense response behavior to chipmunk, but rarely responded strongly to the 3 avian species. In playback experiments, both tit species responded strongly to conspecific chipmunk alarm calls, but rarely responded to dove alarm calls. The intensity of response of incubating female green-backed tits to eme-cuckoo and com-cuckoo alarm calls were similar to that of chipmunk alarm calls, while the intensity to eme-cuckoo alarm calls was higher than the intensity to dove alarm calls which was similar to that of com-cuckoo alarm calls. In contrast, few female cinereous tits responded to eme-cuckoo and com-cuckoo alarm calls. These findings indicated that the threat level of eme-cuckoo was slightly greater than that of com-cuckoo for sympatric green-backed tits, but not for allopatric cinereous tits.

Urban landscape selection by Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) in eastern Spain

Abstract: The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is an invader species, and its distribution is continuously on the increase. Today its expansion has spread to the American continent. In this study we describe the effects of the urban environment on the Eurasian collared dove in eastern Spain. The abundance and presence of this dove were analyzed in 46 localities using counting points. Overall, 220-point counts were surveyed between autumn 2015 and late-winter 2016. A hierarchical partitioning analysis was used to identify explanatory variables of different types such as resources, climate and urban structure, and human presence, which may influence the presence and abundance of this species. In the case of presence, the number of town inhabitants, parks, mean minimum temperature, exotic vegetation and schools had a positive association, while pedestrian number and restaurants had a negative association. Abundance was positively related to native vegetation, exotic vegetation, and water, while urban area was negatively associated with it. Exotic vegetation was the only variable that has a positive relation to presence and abundance. These results can help to predict the use of urban habitats in potential localities for its invasion.

Genetic diversity in Japanese populations of the Eurasian Collared Dove

Abstract: Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is a species distributed in the Eurasian continent and North Africa, and inhabiting mainly in Saitama Prefecture in Japan Eurasian Collared Dove is one of the most prosperous invaders in the world, and Japanese Eurasian Collared Dove has also been introduced from overseas The Japanese population has declined to one-hundredth over 30 years and is being protected In this study, we analyzed its genetic diversity in order to understand the genetic differences between wild populations of Eurasian Collared Dove and those bred in zoos A sequence of about 19 kb mtDNA was determined for 20 wild Eurasian Collared Doves living in Saitama, Japan and 20 zoo-bred Eurasian Collared Doves, and population genetic analysis was performed In the COI gene, 778 bp had the same sequence in all the 40 individuals examined, and no mutation sites could be confirmed In the control region, two base substitution sites were confirmed in 1140 bp long sequence Three haplotypes were detected in 20 individuals in wild, whereas all 20 zoo-bred individuals possessed the same haplotypes possessed in the wild population Haplotypes of zoo-bred individuals were also retained among the wild individuals, confirming that no genetic problems could occur if the zoo-bred individuals were released to the wild for the Japanese Eurasian Collared Dove propagation program

What are the competitive effects of invasive species? Forty years of the Eurasian collared-dove in North America

Abstract: Eurasian collared-doves (Streptopelia decaocto; hereafter ‘collared-doves’) have spread throughout North America since they first colonized Florida in the early 1980s. Here I test for adverse effects of this introduced species on four confamilial potential competitor dove and pigeon species using data from the breeding season (North American Breeding Bird Survey; BBS) and the winter (Audubon Christmas Bird Count; CBC). Within sites of both sets of surveys, correlations between populations of collared-doves and all four potential competitor species have generally been either nonsignificant or positive, indicating a lack of adverse competitive effects due to collared-doves. Similarly, there were no significant differences in population trends of any of the four species in sites where collared-doves were present compared to those where they were not, and there have been no significant declines in population trends of the four species driven by differences in collared-dove abundance in areas where the latter were present. Overall, analyses revealed no negative effects of collared-doves on populations of these potential competitors. Evidence thus far supports a ‘passenger’ rather than a ‘driver’ role for collared-doves in North America, although future monitoring of potential competitor species is warranted, especially if collared-dove populations continue to increase.

Endoparasitic Mites (Rhinonyssidae) on Urban Pigeons and Doves: Updating Morphological and Epidemiological Information

Abstract: Rhynonyssidae is a family of endoparasitic hematophagous mites, which are still largely unknown even though they could act as vector or reservoir of different pathogens like dermanyssids. Sampling requirements have prevented deeper analysis. Rhinonyssids have been explored in a few host specimens per species, leading to undetailed morphological descriptions and inaccurate epidemiology. We explore the relationships established between these parasites in two Columbiformes urban birds (domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) and Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)), assesing 250 individuals of each type in Seville (Spain). As expected, Mesonyssus melloi (Castro, 1948) and Mesonyssus columbae (Crossley, 1950) were found in domestic pigeons, and Mesonyssus streptopeliae (Fain, 1962) in Eurasian collared doves. However, M. columbae was found for the first time in Eurasian collared doves. This relationship could be common in nature, but sampling methodology or host switching could also account for this result. An additional unknown specimen was found in a Eurasian collared dove, which could be a new species or an aberrant individual. We also provide an epidemiological survey of the three mite species, with M. melloi being the most common one followed by M. streptopeliae and M. columbae. High variation between previous epidemiological measurements and ours highlights the importance of developing deeper studies to uncover the factors regulating mite prevalence and intensities of infection.

A comparative anatomy of the lingual apparatus of Indian doves (genus: Streptopelia and Stigmatopelia ), Aves: Columbidae

Abstract: The structure of the lingua of birds frequently gives some clue to the principal diet and manner of feeding of the species The lingua is suitably modified for this purpose or does not intent the present work to understand it The anatomical details of the lingual apparatus and their associated epidermal, musculature, and osteological elements of Indian doves (Aves: Columbidae) Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) and laughing dove (Stigmatopelia senegalensis) with comparison are lacking in the literature A total of eight (n = 8/species) freshly preserved adult specimens with natural mortalities from Central Saurashtra, Western India, were examined All the morphological features of species were observed in living as well as in preserved with the help of a pair of binoculars in the field and in the laboratory with stereo zoom dissecting microscope and camera lucida which are used for illustrations The anatomical study includes the epidermal structures of the buccal region, lingua, apparatus hyobranchialis, and lingual muscles in relation to feeding behaviors and food All these aspects are correlated with the food habits and finally with the muscles which bring about the suitable movements of the lingua The lingua in Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) and laughing dove (Stigmatopelia senegalensis) studied here does not exhibit any wide variations in appearance as such Although the comparison between the two dove species is reflected, a relation in diverse food habits and all the morphological variables do not reflect allometric consequences of selection on body size Finally, the assumption appears intuitively right between morphology, food habits, and variable size of the food items and clears various microhabitat choices in adverse conditions

Isolation and characterization of 89 SNP markers in the oriental turtle dove, Streptopelia orientalis

Abstract: Streptopelia orientalis is an important commercial species, and natural populations have declined dramatically in recent years because of the application of traditional Chinese medicine. The effective conservation and management of S. orientalis have been limited without sufficient molecular markers. In this study, we reported the isolation and characterization of 89 SNP markers in S. orientalis. The minor allele frequency raged from 0.0417 to 0.4792. The observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.0000 to 0.9583 and from 0.0816 to 0.5098, respectively. Polymorphic information content ranged from 0.0767 to 0.3746. The inbreeding coefficient values varied from − 0.3149 to 0.8686. Only four loci showed significant deviations from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (P < 0.05). The polymorphic SNPs will be helpful for the further population genetic analysis and natural resource conservation of S. orientalis.