Knemidokoptic mite infestation of island populations of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Marshall, James S.; Winnicki, Sarah K.

doi:10.1676/21-00008

i

Knemidokoptic mite infestation of island populations of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus)

2022
By Marshall, James S. ; Winnicki, Sarah K.

Details

Journal Title:

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Personal Author:

Marshall, James S. ; Winnicki, Sarah K.
NOAA Program & Office:

Sea Grant
Sea Grant Program:

OHSU (Ohio Sea Grant)
Description:

Knemidokoptic mites infest many bird species around the world and may lead to decreased survival, although relatively few studies have documented long-term effects on populations. We present 9 years of data monitoring the survival of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) in islands of Lake Erie, Ohio, USA. Blackbirds in our study first appeared with mite infestation in 2012. Percentage of the total number of blackbirds infested with mites peaked at 7.3% in 2013 and persisted at 5–6% through the summer of 2018. We saw no differences in infestation rates based on blackbird sex or age. Unlike most other studies, in subsequent years we did recapture birds that had previously had infestations, and we detected no decline in recapture rate due to mite infestation. While that does not mean that blackbirds do not experience negative consequences of infestation, our evidence does suggest that low-level infestation may be persistent in a population without dramatic declines in survivorship.
Keywords:

Animal Science And Zoology Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior And Systematics Animal Science And Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior And Systematics Animal Science And Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior And Systematics
Source:

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 134(1)
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1676/21-00008
ISSN:

1559-4491
Format:

PDF
Publisher:

Wilson Ornithological Society
Document Type:

Journal Article
Rights Information:

Other
Compliance:

Library
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:8fbc2d979eebe444d3e6f37c498f6ee2f73ba6cab1ecb6307e169516cb8d472ad9431870da2cc796e0840a49b9c25d981e773789ffcc95ff565b1b58e034a47f
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/62129/noaa_62129_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 190.52 KB ]

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