Effect of dietary macronutrients and immune challenge on zebra finch gut microbiota

We investigated how dietary macronutrients affect physiology and gut microbiota and whether feeding behavior is influenced by an immune threat in captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Cloacal swab samples were collected from adult zebra finches and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA was sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq platform to characterize the gut microbiota.