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Urban Ecosystems

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06-09-2021

Tick infestation of birds across a gradient of urbanization intensity in the United States Great Plains

Authors: Megan A. Roselli, Bruce H. Noden, Scott R. Loss

Published in: Urban Ecosystems | Issue 2/2022

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Abstract

Migratory birds play an important role in large-scale movements of ticks and tick-borne pathogens, yet little is known about tick infestation of resident birds (e.g., non-migratory species and migratory species during the breeding season), especially in urban ecosystems. We captured birds during the breeding season in parks and greenspaces in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, to evaluate overall tick infestation patterns and to determine if urbanization influences infestation prevalence (the proportion of birds parasitized) and intensity (the number of ticks on infested birds). Of 459 birds, 111 (24.2%) had ≥ 1 tick, a high proportion of infestation compared with past North American studies. The most frequently infested species were Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus; 56%), Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum; 37%), and Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis; 27%). The Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) comprised half (51%; n = 322) of all ticks on birds; other species sampled included Gulf Coast Tick (A. maculatum) (36%) and Rabbit Tick (Haemaphysalis leporispalustris) (13%). Urbanization intensity (i.e., the percentage of developed land around sites) was inversely related to infestation prevalence for all birds combined and for Carolina Wren, but intensity of infestation was unrelated to urbanization. Our results suggest that non-migratory and migratory birds during sedentary periods are important carriers of ticks in urban areas, and that tick infestation patterns can be influenced by the level of urbanization in the surrounding landscape. Clarifying how urban birds influence tick populations, and how urbanization shapes bird-tick interactions, will increase understanding of tick-borne disease ecology in urban ecosystems.

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Title: Tick infestation of birds across a gradient of urbanization intensity in the United States Great Plains
Authors: Megan A. Roselli
Bruce H. Noden
Scott R. Loss
Publication date: 06-09-2021
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Urban Ecosystems / Issue 2/2022
Print ISSN: 1083-8155
Electronic ISSN: 1573-1642
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-021-01160-0

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