Magdalena Zagalska-Neubauer | Polish Academy of Sciences (original) (raw)
Papers by Magdalena Zagalska-Neubauer
Haemosporidian parasites infecting birds show distinct heterogeneity in their distribution among ... more Haemosporidian parasites infecting birds show distinct heterogeneity in their distribution among host species. However,
despite numerous studies on the prevalence and diversity of parasite communities across species, very little is known on
patterns of differences between them. Such data is lacking because up to date the majority of studies explored the patterns
of variation in infections in different years, different time of sampling within a year or a breeding cycle, different study sites
or was based on a small sample size, all of which may affect the estimates of prevalence and parasite diversity. Here, the
prevalence, richness and diversity of haemosporidian parasites from the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus were
studied in two closely related non-migratory hole-nesting passerines: Great Tits and Blue Tits. Birds were sampled in
sympatrically breeding populations during two seasons at the same stage of their breeding cycle – late nestling care.
Great Tits were more prevalently infected with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasites (97·1 vs 71·2%), harboured a
higher proportion of multiple infections (26·2 vs 3·2%) and had a more diverse parasite community (11 vs 5 parasite
lineages) than Blue Tits. Observed differences between two host species are discussed with reference to their breeding
densities and immunological and behavioural characteristics.
Seabirds are regarded as a group of species with relatively low levels or even complete lack of b... more Seabirds are regarded as a group of species with relatively low levels or even complete lack of blood parasites. We used PCR to amplify a DNA fragment from the cytochrome b gene of the parasites to search for infections of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon in individuals of two sympatrically breeding gull species, the Herring Gull Larus argentatus, the Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans and their hybrids. Out of 56 analysed individuals, 53 (95 %) were identified as infected with Leucocytozoon, whereas three individuals carried double and triple infections with at least one Leu-cocytozoon and one Plasmodium lineages. No Haemopro-teus lineage was detected. The most common lineage (LARCAC02), for the first time reported here, was found in 51 (96 %) of all infected birds, and 14 gulls carried two Leucocytozoon lineages. We analysed the evolutionary relationship of Leucocytozoon lineages from the Herring and Caspian Gull and other bird species. Our results show that (1) the two identified Leucocytozoon lineages are not closely related as they belong to two distinctly different clusters. Moreover, (2) seabirds breeding inland could be highly infected with blood parasites and (3) this high prevalence is probably associated with areas where parasite vectors are abundant. Further studies should explore the importance of environmental factors affecting parasite prevalence, in particular within species comparisons under different environment conditions, including vector monitoring and sampling.
Abstrakt: U gatunków mew blisko spokrewnionych z mewą srebrzystą Larus argentatus, oznaczanie płc... more Abstrakt: U gatunków mew blisko spokrewnionych z mewą srebrzystą Larus argentatus, oznaczanie płci na podstawie pomiarów biometrycznych wymaga zastosowania kryteriów specyficznych dla gatunku. W pracy proponujemy uniwersalne równanie dyskryminacyjne, niewymagające oznaczenia gatunku mewy, ułożone na podstawie pomiarów 63 osobników o płci oznaczonej metodą molekularną, pochodzących z kolonii na Zbiorniku Włocławskim, gdzie mewa srebrzysta L. argentatus i mewa białogłowa L. cachinnans hybrydyzują. Równanie zawiera dwa pomiary -długość całkowitą głowy i najmniejszą wysokość dzioba i zapewnia 97% poprawnych klasyfikacji w próbie pochodzącej z hybrydyzującej populacji oraz 100% poprawnych oznaczeń płci w przypadku populacji allopatrycznych obu gatunków.
Mewowate Laridae (mewy: Chroicocephalus, Hydrocoloeus, Larus oraz rybitwy: Sternula, Chlidonias, ... more Mewowate Laridae (mewy: Chroicocephalus, Hydrocoloeus, Larus oraz rybitwy: Sternula, Chlidonias, Sterna) są gatunkami zwykle gniazdującymi kolonijnie. Oznacza to, że pary/gniazda są rozmieszczone na tyle blisko siebie, iż istnieją między nimi interakcje socjalne. Wybiórczość siedliskowa tej grupy gatunków, ściśle związanych ze zbiornikami i ciekami, sprawia, że wykrywanie i ocena ich liczebności mogą ograniczyć się do obszarów spełniających jedno podstawowe kryterium: obecność wody lub jej bliskość. Oceniając liczebność danego gatunku, obserwator może napotkać szereg trudności związanych m.in. z dostępnością kolonii lęgowych i oceną ich wielkości.
Molecular Ecology, 2012
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins involved in the recognition of paras... more Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins involved in the recognition of parasite-derived antigens. Their extreme polymorphism is presumed to be driven by co-evolution with parasites. Host-parasite co-evolution was also hypothesized to optimize within-individual MHC diversity at the intermediate level. Here, we use unique data on lifetime reproductive success (LRS) of female collared flycatchers to test whether LRS is associated with within-individual MHC class II diversity. We also examined the association between MHC and infection with avian malaria. Using 454 sequencing, we found that individual flycatchers carry between 3 and 23 functional MHC class II B alleles. Predictions of the optimality hypothesis were not confirmed by our data as the prevalence of blood parasites decreased with functional MHC diversity. Furthermore, we did not find evidence for an association between MHC diversity and LRS.
Incomplete reproductive isolation promotes gene flow between diverging taxa. However, any gene en... more Incomplete reproductive isolation promotes gene flow between diverging taxa. However, any gene encoding for traits involved in the reproductive barriers will be less prone to introgression than neutral markers. Comparing introgression rates among loci is thus informative of the number and functions of loci involved in the reproductive barriers. This study aimed at identifying possible mechanisms of restriction to gene flow across a zone of recent secondary contact between Larus argentatus and Larus cachinnans by comparing
introgression patterns for nine microsatellite loci, a fragment of mitochondrial DNA and a set of phenotypic traits. The low linkage disequilibrium between neutral nuclear markers
indicated introgression without any barrier to gene flow. However, asymmetric introgression of mitochondrial DNA suggested that interspecific crosses may be more successful in
one direction. The introgression rate for phenotypic traits was variable and low compared to neutral molecular markers. This was particularly evident in colouration of bare parts: individuals with intermediate colouration were scarcer in sympatry than expected if the genomes recombined freely. We hypothesized that one of these variables, the orbital ring
colour, may play a role in mate choice, acting as an incomplete premating barrier through assortative mating. This study emphasizes that multilocus approaches are useful to discriminate among possible mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of hybrid zones.
Molecular Ecology, 2007
Incomplete reproductive isolation promotes gene flow between diverging taxa. However, any gene en... more Incomplete reproductive isolation promotes gene flow between diverging taxa. However, any gene encoding for traits involved in the reproductive barriers will be less prone to introgression than neutral markers. Comparing introgression rates among loci is thus informative of the number and functions of loci involved in the reproductive barriers. This study aimed at identifying possible mechanisms of restriction to gene flow across a zone of recent secondary contact between Larus argentatus and Larus cachinnans by comparing introgression patterns for nine microsatellite loci, a fragment of mitochondrial DNA and a set of phenotypic traits. The low linkage disequilibrium between neutral nuclear markers indicated introgression without any barrier to gene flow. However, asymmetric introgression of mitochondrial DNA suggested that interspecific crosses may be more successful in one direction. The introgression rate for phenotypic traits was variable and low compared to neutral molecular markers. This was particularly evident in colouration of bare parts: individuals with intermediate colouration were scarcer in sympatry than expected if the genomes recombined freely. We hypothesized that one of these variables, the orbital ring colour, may play a role in mate choice, acting as an incomplete premating barrier through assortative mating. This study emphasizes that multilocus approaches are useful to discriminate among possible mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of hybrid zones.
Journal of Biogeography, 2010
Aim The mechanisms of initial dispersal and habitat occupancy by invasive alien species are funda... more Aim The mechanisms of initial dispersal and habitat occupancy by invasive alien species are fundamental ecological problems. Most tests of metapopulation theory are performed on local population systems that are stable or in decline. In the current study we were interested in the usefulness of metapopulation theory to study patch occupancy, local colonization, extinction and the abundance of the invasive Caspian gull (Larus cachinnans) in its initial invasion stages.
Several hypotheses predict a relationship between parasite burden and risk-taking behavior, but t... more Several hypotheses predict a relationship between parasite burden and risk-taking behavior, but the underlying causal mechanisms are
poorly understood due to the scarcity of experimental studies and the neglected focus on immune defense. Here, in 3 sets of field studies
on the collared flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, we investigated how among-male variation in flight initiation distance (FID, the distance at
which an individual flee a potential predator) is linked to among-male variation in health status. First, we correlatively assessed the relationship
between FID and the prevalence of haemosporidian blood parasites. We found no difference in risk-taking behavior between
parasitized and nonparasitized individuals rejecting a hypothesis that predicts that malaria infection status affects the costs of predator
avoidance. Second, we performed an immune challenge experiment, in which randomly chosen birds were injected with a novel antigen
(sheep red blood cell) and their change in FID was compared with birds that received a placebo treatment. This experiment revealed no
evidence for the immunological treatment affecting risk-taking behavior, thus we failed to obtain support for the hypothesis that posits
that immediate health status mediates decisions about when to flee a predator. Finally, we detected a negative relationship between the
number of alleles of the major histocompatibility complex and FID. This result, in concordance with the above negative results, supports
the “avoidance” hypothesis that states that only individuals with efficient immune defense machinery are able to bear the costs of risktaking
that can emerge through the increased infection rates of risk-taker individuals.
Haldane’s rule predicts that particularly high fitness reduction should affect the heterogametic ... more Haldane’s rule predicts that particularly high fitness reduction should affect the heterogametic sex of interspecific hybrids. Despite the fact that hybridization is widespread in birds, survival of hybrid individuals is rarely addressed in studies of avian hybrid zones, possibly because of methodological constraints. Here, having applied capture–mark–recapture models to an extensive, 19-year-long data set on individually marked birds, we estimate annual survival
rates of hybrid individuals in the hybrid zone between herring (Larus argentatus) and Caspian (Larus cachinnans) gulls. In both parental species, males have a slightly higher survival rate than females (model-weighted mean SE: herring gull males 0.88 0.01, females 0.87 0.01, Caspian
gull males 0.88 0.01, females 0.87 0.01). Hybrid males do not survive for a shorter time than nonhybrid ones (0.88 0.01), whereas hybrid females have the lowest survival rate among all groups of individuals (0.83 0.03). This translates to a shorter adult (reproductive) lifespan (on average by
1.7–1.8 years, i.e. ca 25%) compared with nonhybrid females. We conclude that, in line with Haldane’s rule, the lower survival rate of female hybrids may contribute to selection against hybrids in this hybrid zone.
Zjazdowe wystąpienia dotyczyły prowadzonych i planowanych badań oraz ochrony gatunku. Omówiono ró... more Zjazdowe wystąpienia dotyczyły prowadzonych i planowanych badań oraz ochrony gatunku. Omówiono różne rodzaje usług ekosystemów związanych z bocianem białym, podkreślając znaczenie usług kulturowych. W celu określenia różnic wykazywalności dwóch rodzajów zdalnie odczytywalnych obrączek, stosowanych równolegle w latach 2011–2012, w kolejnych gniazdach lub grupach gniazd oznakowano naprzemiennie obrączkami obu rodzajów po blisko 780 piskląt rocznie, a 90 pisklętom założono oba rodzaje obrączek. Odchody przylegające do obrączek utrudniały
ich odczytanie u ptaków młodych, zwłaszcza przed opuszczeniem gniazda, w nieco większym
stopniu w przypadku obrączek ELSA niż plastikowych obrączek zielonych. Inwentaryzacja gniazd przystosowaw
województwie opolskim w latach 2009–2012 wykazała spadek liczebności i produktywności populacji w porównaniu z rokiem 2004. W 2012 roku zaobrączkowano tam 604 pisklęta (80% stwierdzonych), jednemu założono rejestrator GPS. W dniach10–25.08.2012 roku dwa razy dziennie na stałej trasie o długości 250 km wyszukiwano stada bocianów, wśród których następnie znajdywano osobniki z obrączkami (odczytano 55 – połowę stwierdzonych). W powiatach siedleckim i łukowskim w latach 2011–2012 prowadzono remonty gniazd, instalowano platformy, modernizowano
urządzenia energetyczne oraz zajmowano się rannymi bocianami i edukacją, a w powiecie siedleckim inwentaryzowano gniazda. Na Ziemi Leszczyńskiej rozpoczęto zbieranie danych w ramach Obrączkarskiego Monitoringu Ekologii Bociana Białego, tworząc Sieć Obserwacji
Bocianów Białych z Obrączkami. Obrączki stwierdzono u 7 osobników wśród 59 skontrolowanych par (6%). Dwukrotne pomiary dzioba piskląt o określonej molekularnie płci, w 1.–7. i ok. 30. dnia życia, w 146 lęgach, wykazały zbliżoną liczbę i jednakową wielkość samic i samców po wykluciu oraz szybszy wzrost samców. Omówiono model dwudzielnej platformy gniazdowej, umożliwiający łatwe przeniesienie niewykorzystanej platformy i zamontowanie na innym słupie energetycznym. Przedstawiono plan liczenia bocianów w Polsce w roku 2014 w ramach światowego cenzusu
gatunku. Ma być ono oparte na ankietach rozsyłanych do sołectw i wzbogaconego o materiały ze stałych powierzchni monitoringowych. Zaproponowano badania wpływu farm wiatrowych oraz wzrostu liczebności populacji bielika na populację bociana białego.
Species composition and origin of ringed gulls Laridae observed in the vicinity of Konin. // Abst... more Species composition and origin of ringed gulls Laridae observed in the vicinity of Konin. // Abstract.
In 2001-2004, observations of gulls on rubbish dumps near Konin were carried out. The aim of our work was to analyse ring recoveries and identify the species composition and origin of migrating and wintering gulls. during migration and wintering period. The origin of gulls was determined on
the basis of rings. Eight species of gulls were recorded: Herring Gull Larus argentatus, Caspian Gull L. cachinnans, Yellow-legged Gull L. michahellis, Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus, Mew Gull L. canus, Mediterranean Gull L. melanocephalus, Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus and Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus. A total of 2937 metal and colour rings of 1066 different individuals were recorded. Observed birds originated from 19 countries. The highest number of rings was detected for Herring
Gull (92.5%) were of rings attached to gulls of the Herring Gull (argentatus) complex. The second species, as regards the number of recoveries, was Black-headed Gull (6.4%), whereas ring recoveries for Mew and Lesser Black-backed Gulls comprised 1% in total.
Abstrakt. Niniejsza praca omawia awifaunę Konińskiego Zagłębia Węgla Brunatnego (KZWB) w latach 9... more Abstrakt. Niniejsza praca omawia awifaunę Konińskiego Zagłębia Węgla Brunatnego (KZWB) w latach 994-0. Stwierdzono łącznie 87 gatunków ptaków, w tym 9 gatunki lęgowe i prawdopodobnie lęgowe. Uzyskane dane wskazują na duże znaczenie odkrywek jako lęgowisk dla gatunków ptaków, takich jak sieweczka obrożna Charadrius hiaticula, rybitwa rzeczna Sterna hirundo, rybitwa białoczelna Sternula albifrons i świergotek polny Anthus campestris. Ponadto teren ten stanowi atrakcyjne miejsce postoju dla przelotnych ptaków wodno-błotnych, np. gęgawy Anser anser, cyraneczki Anas crecca i rzepołucha Carduelis flavirostris. Odkrywki są również wykorzystywane przez zimujące ptaki, dotyczy to zwłaszcza gęgawy, cyraneczki, krakwy A. streptera, krzyżówki A. platyrhynchos i siwerniaka A. spinoletta. Biotopy powstałe w odkrywkach mają charakter zbliżony do naturalnego, jednak ich geneza i efemeryczność sprawiają, że należy je traktować jako siedliska zastępcze. Fakt wykorzystywania tego typu siedlisk przez ptaki wskazuje na ich znaczną rolę dla przetrwania lokalnych populacji, zwłaszcza w kontekście zaniku odpowiednich siedlisk lęgowych w pobliskiej dolinie Warty.
Haemosporidian parasites infecting birds show distinct heterogeneity in their distribution among ... more Haemosporidian parasites infecting birds show distinct heterogeneity in their distribution among host species. However,
despite numerous studies on the prevalence and diversity of parasite communities across species, very little is known on
patterns of differences between them. Such data is lacking because up to date the majority of studies explored the patterns
of variation in infections in different years, different time of sampling within a year or a breeding cycle, different study sites
or was based on a small sample size, all of which may affect the estimates of prevalence and parasite diversity. Here, the
prevalence, richness and diversity of haemosporidian parasites from the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus were
studied in two closely related non-migratory hole-nesting passerines: Great Tits and Blue Tits. Birds were sampled in
sympatrically breeding populations during two seasons at the same stage of their breeding cycle – late nestling care.
Great Tits were more prevalently infected with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasites (97·1 vs 71·2%), harboured a
higher proportion of multiple infections (26·2 vs 3·2%) and had a more diverse parasite community (11 vs 5 parasite
lineages) than Blue Tits. Observed differences between two host species are discussed with reference to their breeding
densities and immunological and behavioural characteristics.
Seabirds are regarded as a group of species with relatively low levels or even complete lack of b... more Seabirds are regarded as a group of species with relatively low levels or even complete lack of blood parasites. We used PCR to amplify a DNA fragment from the cytochrome b gene of the parasites to search for infections of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon in individuals of two sympatrically breeding gull species, the Herring Gull Larus argentatus, the Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans and their hybrids. Out of 56 analysed individuals, 53 (95 %) were identified as infected with Leucocytozoon, whereas three individuals carried double and triple infections with at least one Leu-cocytozoon and one Plasmodium lineages. No Haemopro-teus lineage was detected. The most common lineage (LARCAC02), for the first time reported here, was found in 51 (96 %) of all infected birds, and 14 gulls carried two Leucocytozoon lineages. We analysed the evolutionary relationship of Leucocytozoon lineages from the Herring and Caspian Gull and other bird species. Our results show that (1) the two identified Leucocytozoon lineages are not closely related as they belong to two distinctly different clusters. Moreover, (2) seabirds breeding inland could be highly infected with blood parasites and (3) this high prevalence is probably associated with areas where parasite vectors are abundant. Further studies should explore the importance of environmental factors affecting parasite prevalence, in particular within species comparisons under different environment conditions, including vector monitoring and sampling.
Abstrakt: U gatunków mew blisko spokrewnionych z mewą srebrzystą Larus argentatus, oznaczanie płc... more Abstrakt: U gatunków mew blisko spokrewnionych z mewą srebrzystą Larus argentatus, oznaczanie płci na podstawie pomiarów biometrycznych wymaga zastosowania kryteriów specyficznych dla gatunku. W pracy proponujemy uniwersalne równanie dyskryminacyjne, niewymagające oznaczenia gatunku mewy, ułożone na podstawie pomiarów 63 osobników o płci oznaczonej metodą molekularną, pochodzących z kolonii na Zbiorniku Włocławskim, gdzie mewa srebrzysta L. argentatus i mewa białogłowa L. cachinnans hybrydyzują. Równanie zawiera dwa pomiary -długość całkowitą głowy i najmniejszą wysokość dzioba i zapewnia 97% poprawnych klasyfikacji w próbie pochodzącej z hybrydyzującej populacji oraz 100% poprawnych oznaczeń płci w przypadku populacji allopatrycznych obu gatunków.
Mewowate Laridae (mewy: Chroicocephalus, Hydrocoloeus, Larus oraz rybitwy: Sternula, Chlidonias, ... more Mewowate Laridae (mewy: Chroicocephalus, Hydrocoloeus, Larus oraz rybitwy: Sternula, Chlidonias, Sterna) są gatunkami zwykle gniazdującymi kolonijnie. Oznacza to, że pary/gniazda są rozmieszczone na tyle blisko siebie, iż istnieją między nimi interakcje socjalne. Wybiórczość siedliskowa tej grupy gatunków, ściśle związanych ze zbiornikami i ciekami, sprawia, że wykrywanie i ocena ich liczebności mogą ograniczyć się do obszarów spełniających jedno podstawowe kryterium: obecność wody lub jej bliskość. Oceniając liczebność danego gatunku, obserwator może napotkać szereg trudności związanych m.in. z dostępnością kolonii lęgowych i oceną ich wielkości.
Molecular Ecology, 2012
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins involved in the recognition of paras... more Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins involved in the recognition of parasite-derived antigens. Their extreme polymorphism is presumed to be driven by co-evolution with parasites. Host-parasite co-evolution was also hypothesized to optimize within-individual MHC diversity at the intermediate level. Here, we use unique data on lifetime reproductive success (LRS) of female collared flycatchers to test whether LRS is associated with within-individual MHC class II diversity. We also examined the association between MHC and infection with avian malaria. Using 454 sequencing, we found that individual flycatchers carry between 3 and 23 functional MHC class II B alleles. Predictions of the optimality hypothesis were not confirmed by our data as the prevalence of blood parasites decreased with functional MHC diversity. Furthermore, we did not find evidence for an association between MHC diversity and LRS.
Incomplete reproductive isolation promotes gene flow between diverging taxa. However, any gene en... more Incomplete reproductive isolation promotes gene flow between diverging taxa. However, any gene encoding for traits involved in the reproductive barriers will be less prone to introgression than neutral markers. Comparing introgression rates among loci is thus informative of the number and functions of loci involved in the reproductive barriers. This study aimed at identifying possible mechanisms of restriction to gene flow across a zone of recent secondary contact between Larus argentatus and Larus cachinnans by comparing
introgression patterns for nine microsatellite loci, a fragment of mitochondrial DNA and a set of phenotypic traits. The low linkage disequilibrium between neutral nuclear markers
indicated introgression without any barrier to gene flow. However, asymmetric introgression of mitochondrial DNA suggested that interspecific crosses may be more successful in
one direction. The introgression rate for phenotypic traits was variable and low compared to neutral molecular markers. This was particularly evident in colouration of bare parts: individuals with intermediate colouration were scarcer in sympatry than expected if the genomes recombined freely. We hypothesized that one of these variables, the orbital ring
colour, may play a role in mate choice, acting as an incomplete premating barrier through assortative mating. This study emphasizes that multilocus approaches are useful to discriminate among possible mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of hybrid zones.
Molecular Ecology, 2007
Incomplete reproductive isolation promotes gene flow between diverging taxa. However, any gene en... more Incomplete reproductive isolation promotes gene flow between diverging taxa. However, any gene encoding for traits involved in the reproductive barriers will be less prone to introgression than neutral markers. Comparing introgression rates among loci is thus informative of the number and functions of loci involved in the reproductive barriers. This study aimed at identifying possible mechanisms of restriction to gene flow across a zone of recent secondary contact between Larus argentatus and Larus cachinnans by comparing introgression patterns for nine microsatellite loci, a fragment of mitochondrial DNA and a set of phenotypic traits. The low linkage disequilibrium between neutral nuclear markers indicated introgression without any barrier to gene flow. However, asymmetric introgression of mitochondrial DNA suggested that interspecific crosses may be more successful in one direction. The introgression rate for phenotypic traits was variable and low compared to neutral molecular markers. This was particularly evident in colouration of bare parts: individuals with intermediate colouration were scarcer in sympatry than expected if the genomes recombined freely. We hypothesized that one of these variables, the orbital ring colour, may play a role in mate choice, acting as an incomplete premating barrier through assortative mating. This study emphasizes that multilocus approaches are useful to discriminate among possible mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of hybrid zones.
Journal of Biogeography, 2010
Aim The mechanisms of initial dispersal and habitat occupancy by invasive alien species are funda... more Aim The mechanisms of initial dispersal and habitat occupancy by invasive alien species are fundamental ecological problems. Most tests of metapopulation theory are performed on local population systems that are stable or in decline. In the current study we were interested in the usefulness of metapopulation theory to study patch occupancy, local colonization, extinction and the abundance of the invasive Caspian gull (Larus cachinnans) in its initial invasion stages.
Several hypotheses predict a relationship between parasite burden and risk-taking behavior, but t... more Several hypotheses predict a relationship between parasite burden and risk-taking behavior, but the underlying causal mechanisms are
poorly understood due to the scarcity of experimental studies and the neglected focus on immune defense. Here, in 3 sets of field studies
on the collared flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, we investigated how among-male variation in flight initiation distance (FID, the distance at
which an individual flee a potential predator) is linked to among-male variation in health status. First, we correlatively assessed the relationship
between FID and the prevalence of haemosporidian blood parasites. We found no difference in risk-taking behavior between
parasitized and nonparasitized individuals rejecting a hypothesis that predicts that malaria infection status affects the costs of predator
avoidance. Second, we performed an immune challenge experiment, in which randomly chosen birds were injected with a novel antigen
(sheep red blood cell) and their change in FID was compared with birds that received a placebo treatment. This experiment revealed no
evidence for the immunological treatment affecting risk-taking behavior, thus we failed to obtain support for the hypothesis that posits
that immediate health status mediates decisions about when to flee a predator. Finally, we detected a negative relationship between the
number of alleles of the major histocompatibility complex and FID. This result, in concordance with the above negative results, supports
the “avoidance” hypothesis that states that only individuals with efficient immune defense machinery are able to bear the costs of risktaking
that can emerge through the increased infection rates of risk-taker individuals.
Haldane’s rule predicts that particularly high fitness reduction should affect the heterogametic ... more Haldane’s rule predicts that particularly high fitness reduction should affect the heterogametic sex of interspecific hybrids. Despite the fact that hybridization is widespread in birds, survival of hybrid individuals is rarely addressed in studies of avian hybrid zones, possibly because of methodological constraints. Here, having applied capture–mark–recapture models to an extensive, 19-year-long data set on individually marked birds, we estimate annual survival
rates of hybrid individuals in the hybrid zone between herring (Larus argentatus) and Caspian (Larus cachinnans) gulls. In both parental species, males have a slightly higher survival rate than females (model-weighted mean SE: herring gull males 0.88 0.01, females 0.87 0.01, Caspian
gull males 0.88 0.01, females 0.87 0.01). Hybrid males do not survive for a shorter time than nonhybrid ones (0.88 0.01), whereas hybrid females have the lowest survival rate among all groups of individuals (0.83 0.03). This translates to a shorter adult (reproductive) lifespan (on average by
1.7–1.8 years, i.e. ca 25%) compared with nonhybrid females. We conclude that, in line with Haldane’s rule, the lower survival rate of female hybrids may contribute to selection against hybrids in this hybrid zone.
Zjazdowe wystąpienia dotyczyły prowadzonych i planowanych badań oraz ochrony gatunku. Omówiono ró... more Zjazdowe wystąpienia dotyczyły prowadzonych i planowanych badań oraz ochrony gatunku. Omówiono różne rodzaje usług ekosystemów związanych z bocianem białym, podkreślając znaczenie usług kulturowych. W celu określenia różnic wykazywalności dwóch rodzajów zdalnie odczytywalnych obrączek, stosowanych równolegle w latach 2011–2012, w kolejnych gniazdach lub grupach gniazd oznakowano naprzemiennie obrączkami obu rodzajów po blisko 780 piskląt rocznie, a 90 pisklętom założono oba rodzaje obrączek. Odchody przylegające do obrączek utrudniały
ich odczytanie u ptaków młodych, zwłaszcza przed opuszczeniem gniazda, w nieco większym
stopniu w przypadku obrączek ELSA niż plastikowych obrączek zielonych. Inwentaryzacja gniazd przystosowaw
województwie opolskim w latach 2009–2012 wykazała spadek liczebności i produktywności populacji w porównaniu z rokiem 2004. W 2012 roku zaobrączkowano tam 604 pisklęta (80% stwierdzonych), jednemu założono rejestrator GPS. W dniach10–25.08.2012 roku dwa razy dziennie na stałej trasie o długości 250 km wyszukiwano stada bocianów, wśród których następnie znajdywano osobniki z obrączkami (odczytano 55 – połowę stwierdzonych). W powiatach siedleckim i łukowskim w latach 2011–2012 prowadzono remonty gniazd, instalowano platformy, modernizowano
urządzenia energetyczne oraz zajmowano się rannymi bocianami i edukacją, a w powiecie siedleckim inwentaryzowano gniazda. Na Ziemi Leszczyńskiej rozpoczęto zbieranie danych w ramach Obrączkarskiego Monitoringu Ekologii Bociana Białego, tworząc Sieć Obserwacji
Bocianów Białych z Obrączkami. Obrączki stwierdzono u 7 osobników wśród 59 skontrolowanych par (6%). Dwukrotne pomiary dzioba piskląt o określonej molekularnie płci, w 1.–7. i ok. 30. dnia życia, w 146 lęgach, wykazały zbliżoną liczbę i jednakową wielkość samic i samców po wykluciu oraz szybszy wzrost samców. Omówiono model dwudzielnej platformy gniazdowej, umożliwiający łatwe przeniesienie niewykorzystanej platformy i zamontowanie na innym słupie energetycznym. Przedstawiono plan liczenia bocianów w Polsce w roku 2014 w ramach światowego cenzusu
gatunku. Ma być ono oparte na ankietach rozsyłanych do sołectw i wzbogaconego o materiały ze stałych powierzchni monitoringowych. Zaproponowano badania wpływu farm wiatrowych oraz wzrostu liczebności populacji bielika na populację bociana białego.
Species composition and origin of ringed gulls Laridae observed in the vicinity of Konin. // Abst... more Species composition and origin of ringed gulls Laridae observed in the vicinity of Konin. // Abstract.
In 2001-2004, observations of gulls on rubbish dumps near Konin were carried out. The aim of our work was to analyse ring recoveries and identify the species composition and origin of migrating and wintering gulls. during migration and wintering period. The origin of gulls was determined on
the basis of rings. Eight species of gulls were recorded: Herring Gull Larus argentatus, Caspian Gull L. cachinnans, Yellow-legged Gull L. michahellis, Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus, Mew Gull L. canus, Mediterranean Gull L. melanocephalus, Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus and Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus. A total of 2937 metal and colour rings of 1066 different individuals were recorded. Observed birds originated from 19 countries. The highest number of rings was detected for Herring
Gull (92.5%) were of rings attached to gulls of the Herring Gull (argentatus) complex. The second species, as regards the number of recoveries, was Black-headed Gull (6.4%), whereas ring recoveries for Mew and Lesser Black-backed Gulls comprised 1% in total.
Abstrakt. Niniejsza praca omawia awifaunę Konińskiego Zagłębia Węgla Brunatnego (KZWB) w latach 9... more Abstrakt. Niniejsza praca omawia awifaunę Konińskiego Zagłębia Węgla Brunatnego (KZWB) w latach 994-0. Stwierdzono łącznie 87 gatunków ptaków, w tym 9 gatunki lęgowe i prawdopodobnie lęgowe. Uzyskane dane wskazują na duże znaczenie odkrywek jako lęgowisk dla gatunków ptaków, takich jak sieweczka obrożna Charadrius hiaticula, rybitwa rzeczna Sterna hirundo, rybitwa białoczelna Sternula albifrons i świergotek polny Anthus campestris. Ponadto teren ten stanowi atrakcyjne miejsce postoju dla przelotnych ptaków wodno-błotnych, np. gęgawy Anser anser, cyraneczki Anas crecca i rzepołucha Carduelis flavirostris. Odkrywki są również wykorzystywane przez zimujące ptaki, dotyczy to zwłaszcza gęgawy, cyraneczki, krakwy A. streptera, krzyżówki A. platyrhynchos i siwerniaka A. spinoletta. Biotopy powstałe w odkrywkach mają charakter zbliżony do naturalnego, jednak ich geneza i efemeryczność sprawiają, że należy je traktować jako siedliska zastępcze. Fakt wykorzystywania tego typu siedlisk przez ptaki wskazuje na ich znaczną rolę dla przetrwania lokalnych populacji, zwłaszcza w kontekście zaniku odpowiednich siedlisk lęgowych w pobliskiej dolinie Warty.