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Urban and Forest-Living Blackbirds Turdus merula as Hosts of Borreliella spp. Infected Ticks

Gryczyńska A.

Polish Journal of Ecology

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2018

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Vol. 66, nr 3

309--314

EN

The effect of urbanisation on parasite prevalence, especially these associated with human diseases, such as Lyme borreliosis, is of high interest. The blackbird Turdus merula is a ground-feeding species particularly predisposed to constitute a Borreliella spp. (Lyme borreliosis causative agent) reservoir. So, the aim of the study was to examine if the tick infestation level and their Borreliella spp. infection prevalence differs in blackbirds resident in two disparate habitats in Poland – one highly urbanized (in Warsaw agglomeration) and the other forested (in Mazurian Lake region). The infection in ticks feeding on blackbirds was ascertained based on detection of bacterium DNA (PCR). The prevalence of tick infestation in urban and forest-living blackbirds was similar (90 and 91.7%, respectively) but the mean number of parasites per bird was markedly greater in the forest (4.0 ind.) than in the urban populations (1.5 ind.). Even though, the Borreliella spp. infection of the ticks was significantly greater in the urban (46.7%) than in forest habitat (35.4%). Additionally, in the urban site more birds carry at least one infected tick than in the forest. The results of the study seem to confirm the role of blackbirds in establishing Borreliella spp. reservoir. Special regard should be given to highly urbanized areas, where the relative increase in the relevance of birds as tick hosts and pathogen transmitters may pose high risk to public health. Thus, the study constitutes a small-scale but an important contribution to our understanding of the role of birds in maintenance of Borreliella spp. foci in urban habitats.

2

Winter breeding by the Blackbird, Turdus merula (L.) during harsh weather conditions

Wuczyński A.

Polish Journal of Ecology

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2010

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Vol. 58, nr 4

805-809

EN

Birds may occasionally breed far beyond the average breeding time for particular species. Nesting attempts in winter during unfavorable weather and unfavorable environmental conditions, however, are particularly rare events. In this note I report an unsuccessful attempt of a Blackbird Turdus merula L. observed in January, 2009 in SW Poland. The clutch was abandoned at the final stage of incubation. Unlike other reported cases, it had been started on the outskirts of an average-sized town, in a period of harsh weather.low ambient temperature and snow cover present. This is the first winter brood of this species recorded in Poland and probably the easternmost in Europe. It is suggested that winter breeding by Blackbirds may occur more regularly and in wider areas than previously reported.

3

Effect of change in land use on breeding bird communities in a Silesian farmland (SW Poland)

Kopij G.

Polish Journal of Ecology

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2008

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Vol. 56, nr 3

511-519

EN

Two study areas, 210 ha (A) and 120 ha (B), have been selected. Arable grounds dominated (92%) in the study area A, while meadows (63% in 1989 and 47% in 2003) - in the study area B. The changes in land use in both study areas have occurred in 2003 comparatively with 1989. In the study area A, an increase of the area with maize (from 1.1 ha to 38.4 ha) and oat (from 5.6 to 28.4 ha), and decrease in area of the rape (from 41.3 to 0.3 ha) and root plants (from 16.7 to 6.4 ha) have been recorded, while the clover and broad bean have totally disappeared as cultivated plants. In the study area B, a conversion of some dry meadows into arable grounds and an abandonment of more than half of the remaining area of meadows has been carried out. The landscape in the study area A was more fragmented in 1989 than in 2003, while in the study area B the reverse was true. On average, cereal areas increased - especially wheat (from 1.5 to 2.4 ha), maize (from 0.6 to 3.8 ha) and oat (from 0.6 to 1.9 ha), while rape areas decreased (from 2.0 to 0.3 ha). The mapping method has been employed to show the effect of these changes on breeding bird community in both years (1989 vs. 2003). In the study area A, density (pairs x 100[^-1] ha) of the Skylark Alauda arvensis (28.1 vs. 17.1) and Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris (12.9 vs. 2.4) has significantly decreased; while that of Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra (1.4 vs. 8.1) and gallinaceous birds (2.9 vs. 8.1) has significantly increased over the last 14 years. The most numerous species in the group of gallinaceous birds, the Common Quail Coturnix coturnix, probably benefits from the enlargement of oat and barley cultivations. The Skylark was negatively affected by the enlargement of study areas with cultivated plants, especially with the wheat and maize. The Corn Bunting has been, probably, positively affected by the enlargement of maize and barley cultivations, as well as from the warming effect. The decline of the Marsh Warbler could have been caused by the decrease of the area with rape cultivations but it may also reflect short-term fluctuations. In the study area B, only densities of the Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs and Blackbird Turdus merula have significantly increased, and no statistically significant declines were recorded. These increases can be linked to changes in the age structure of tree and shrub stands in the existing small forests, clumps and hedgerows, but these species show probably a general increase in numbers over large areas of farmlands in Poland and possibly in some other European countries.