Spring reproductive success influences autumnal malarial load in wild birds

The data and R code contained in the attached files are associated with the following article: "Spring reproductive success influences autumnal malarial load in wild birds" deposited in BioRxive on XX/XX/XX by Pigeault and colleagues. In this study we monitored the intensities of infection by two haemosporidian parasites – <em>Plasmodium relictum</em> and <em>P. homonucleophilum</em> – in two wild populations of great tits (<em>Parus major</em>) in Switzerland over three years, to characterize their annual infection dynamics. We also collected data on birds’ reproductive output – laying date, clutch size, fledging success – to determine whether they were associated with infection intensity before (winter), during (spring) and after (autumn) breeding season.