Galápagos mockingbirds tolerate introduced parasites that affect Darwin’s finches

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dc.contributor.authorKnutie, Sarah A.
dc.contributor.authorOwen, Jeb P.
dc.contributor.authorMcNew, Sabrina M.
dc.contributor.authorBartlow, Andrew W.
dc.contributor.authorArriero Higueras, Elena
dc.contributor.authorHerman, Jordan M.
dc.contributor.authorDiBlasi, Emily
dc.contributor.authorThompson, Michael
dc.contributor.authorKoop, Jennifer A. H.
dc.contributor.authorClayton, Dale H.
dc.date.accessioned2023-06-18T05:43:19Z
dc.date.available2023-06-18T05:43:19Z
dc.date.issued2016-04
dc.description.abstractIntroduced parasites threaten native host species that lack effective defenses. Such parasites increase the risk of extinction, particularly in small host populations like those on islands. If some host species are tolerant to introduced parasites, this could amplify the risk of the parasite to vulnerable host species. Recently, the introduced parasitic nest fly Philornis downsi has been implicated in the decline of Darwin’s finch populations in the Galápagos Islands. In some years, 100% of finch nests fail due to P. downsi; however, other common host species nesting near Darwin’s finches, such as the endemic Galápagos mockingbird (Mimus parvulus), appear to be less affected by P. downsi. We compared effects of P. downsi on mockingbirds and medium ground finches (Geospiza fortis) on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos. We experimentally manipulated the abundance of P. downsi in nests of mockingbirds and finches to measure the direct effect of the parasite on the reproductive success of each species of host. We also compared immunological and behavioral responses by each species of host to the fly. Although nests of the two host species had similar parasite densities, flies decreased the fitness of finches but not mockingbirds. Neither host species had a significant antibody-mediated immune response to P. downsi. Moreover, finches showed no significant increase in begging, parental provisioning, or plasma glucose levels in response to the flies. In contrast, parasitized mockingbird nestlings begged more than nonparasitized mockingbird nestlings. Greater begging was correlated with increased parental provisioning behavior, which appeared to compensate for parasite damage. The results of our study suggest that finches are negatively affected by P. downsi because they do not have such behavioral mechanisms for energy compensation. In contrast, mockingbirds are capable of compensation, making them tolerant hosts, and a possible indirect threat to Darwin’s finches.
dc.description.departmentDepto. de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución
dc.description.facultyFac. de Ciencias Biológicas
dc.description.refereedTRUE
dc.description.sponsorshipMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)
dc.description.sponsorshipNSF
dc.description.sponsorshipUniversity of Utah Graduate Research Fellowship (US)
dc.description.statuspub
dc.eprint.idhttps://eprints.ucm.es/id/eprint/41472
dc.identifier.doi10.1890/15-0119.1
dc.identifier.issn0012-9658, ESSN: 1939-9170
dc.identifier.officialurlhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/15-0119.1/full
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/23152
dc.issue.number4
dc.journal.titleEcology
dc.language.isoeng
dc.page.final950
dc.page.initial940
dc.publisherEcological Society of America
dc.relation.projectID(BFU2011- 25957)
dc.relation.projectID(DEB- 0816877)
dc.rights.accessRightsrestricted access
dc.subject.cdu598.8
dc.subject.cdu579.89
dc.subject.keywordGalápagos Islands
dc.subject.keywordGeospiza fortis
dc.subject.keywordHost defense
dc.subject.keywordMimus parvulus
dc.subject.keywordNest parasite
dc.subject.keywordPhilornis
dc.subject.keywordDownsi
dc.subject.keywordTolerance
dc.subject.ucmPatología veterinaria
dc.subject.ucmAves
dc.subject.unesco3109.07 Patología
dc.subject.unesco2401.20 Ornitología
dc.titleGalápagos mockingbirds tolerate introduced parasites that affect Darwin’s finches
dc.typejournal article
dc.volume.number97
dspace.entity.typePublication
relation.isAuthorOfPublication37b83c4c-0820-45d3-8b5f-119b7bbefe82
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery37b83c4c-0820-45d3-8b5f-119b7bbefe82
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