Seasonal variation in gut microbiota of migratory wild raptors: a case study in white-tailed eagles.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Migration poses significant energetic challenges for migratory birds, during which both intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the gut microbiota alter substantially. While the temporal dynamics of gut microbiota in wild birds across migration seasons have garnered increasing attention, research on the seasonal variation in wild raptors remains limited despite their distinct gut microbiota structures. Furthermore, raptors, being the highest trophic level in the food chain, have been found to harbor more pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, we characterized the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota of wild white-tailed eagles at a critical stopover site along the East Asian Flyway (EAF). Fecal samples were collected during both aut

SUBMITTER: Ouyang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12007228 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature