Exploring microbiome shifts across taxonomic and ecological groups of birds at a key stopover site in Punjab, Pakistan.

ABSTRACT: Birds are important vectors of microbial transmission across diverse habitats. yet their gut microbiome dynamics from South Asian migratory stopover sites remain poorly understood. This study presents the first comprehensive assessment of gut microbiome variation across avian ecological types during the late wintering period at the Ravi River Siphon, a stopover in Punjab, Pakistan. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we profiled gut microbial characters of 41 bird individuals from 17 species representing seven avian orders. Alpha diversity differed significantly across both ecological types and taxonomic orders, while beta diversity showed overlapping communities, with limited group distinctions. Dominant phyla included Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Chloroflexi, and B

SUBMITTER: Tufail A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12593685 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature