Age-related variation in the oral microbiome of urban Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bird species worldwide are affected by trichomoniasis caused by the protist Trichomonas gallinae. In avivorous raptors such as Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii), nestlings are more susceptible than fledglings and adults. Previous research suggested a link between oral pH and susceptibility: the oral pH of fledgling and adult hawks is more than seven times more acidic than that of nestlings. We speculated that this age-specific difference in pH would correspond to age-specific differences in the oral microbiota of Cooper's hawks. We examined the oral microbiomes of 31 healthy, wild Cooper's hawks in Tucson, Arizona (USA). Individuals represented three age classes (nestlings, fledglings, and adults). We designed our study with multiple controls, replicated sampling, mock

SUBMITTER: Taylor MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6385412 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature