Biology Department, University of Scranton, Loyola Science Center, Scranton, PA, USA Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Emily Ostrow
Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA Southwestern Native Aquatic Resource and Recovery Center, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Dexter, NM, USA
Suravi Ray
Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Marissa Henry
Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Janice Dispoto
Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Alison Fetterman
Willistown Conservation Trust, Newtown Square, PA, USA
Lisa Kiziuk
Willistown Conservation Trust, Newtown Square, PA, USA
Jason D. Weckstein
Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Migratory animals likely play an important role in the geographic spread of parasites. In fact, a common assumption is that parasites are potentially transmitted by migratory animals at temporary stopover sites along migratory routes, yet very few studies have assessed whether transmission at stopover sites can or does occur. We investigated the potential for a group of vector-transmitted parasites, the avian haemosporidians, to be transmitted during migratory stopover periods at Rushton Woods Preserve in Pennsylvania, USA. Using an analysis of 1454 sampled avian hosts, we found that while a core group of abundant haemosporidians was shared between local breeding birds and passing migrants, the parasite community of migratory birds at Rushton was distinct from that of local breeding birds and showed similarity to a previously sampled boreal forest haemosporidian community. Haemosporidians that were unique to passing migratory birds were associated with sampling sites in North America with cooler summer temperatures than haemosporidians that are transmitted at Rushton, suggesting that the transmission of these parasites may be restricted to high-latitude regions outside of our temperate stopover site. We also found that the abundance of mosquitoes in our study region is offset from that of migratory bird abundance during avian migratory periods, with the peak period of bird migration occurring during periods of low mosquito activity. Collectively, these findings suggest that although abundant haemosporidians are possibly transmitted between local and passing migratory birds, a combination of biotic and abiotic factors may constrain haemosporidian transmission during avian stopover at our study site.
