The occurrence of avian blood protists is affected by multiple factors that include the characteristics of the hosts, the vectors, the parasites, as well as the environmental factors. This study provides an insight into some of the factors that influence the prevalence of avian Lankesterella, neglected but common blood parasites in breeding populations of common passerines. The highest prevalences of Lankesterella infection were observed in 1 great tit (Parus major) population at 63%, 1 blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) population at 49% and a sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) population at 33%. Prevalence was found to be significantly influenced by sampling site followed by host age, species and sex. Julian date had no significant effect on Lankesterella prevalence. Prevalence data from different sampling sites can reveal different patterns and should be combined critically. Higher prevalence in adults suggest that the infections are chronic, which helps the parasite to persist in host populations. The differences between sexes might be related to different exposure to the transmitting vectors (e. g., mites or mosquitoes) during breeding.

• Keywords
• Acrocephalidae, Apicomplexa, Lankesterellidae, Paridae, avian haemoparasites, coccidia, host–parasite interaction, passerines,
• MeSH
• Breeding MeSH
• Haemosporida * isolation & purification   MeSH
• Bird Diseases * parasitology   epidemiology   MeSH
• Passeriformes * parasitology   MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Protozoan Infections, Animal * epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Sex Factors MeSH
• Age Factors MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Tropical bird species are characterized by a comparatively slow pace of life, being predictably different from their temperate zone counterparts in their investments in growth, survival and reproduction. In birds, the development of functional plumage is often considered energetically demanding investment, with consequences on individual fitness and survival. However, current knowledge of interspecific variation in feather growth patterns is mostly based on species of the northern temperate zone. We evaluated patterns in tail feather growth rates (FGR) and feather quality (stress-induced fault bar occurrence; FBO), using 1518 individuals of 167 species and 39 passerine families inhabiting Afrotropical and northern temperate zones. We detected a clear difference in feather traits between species breeding in the temperate and tropical zones, with the latter having significantly slower FGR and three times higher FBO. Moreover, trans-Saharan latitudinal migrants resembled temperate zone residents in that they exhibited a comparatively fast FGR and low FBO, despite sharing moulting environments with tropical species. Our results reveal convergent latitudinal shifts in feather growth investments (latitudinal syndrome) across unrelated passerine families and underscore the importance of breeding latitude in determining cross-species variation in key avian life-history traits.

• Keywords
• comparative analysis, fault bars, life-history, long-distance migration, pace-of-life syndromes, ptilochronology,
• MeSH
• Breeding MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Passeriformes * MeSH
• Feathers MeSH
• Reproduction MeSH
• Molting * MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH