Microbiome survey of the intestinal contents of mourning doves fed an urban or seed diet

Urbanization influences food quality and availability for many avian species, with increased access to human refuse and food subsidies in built environments. In relation to such nutritional intakes and their presumed impact on microbes harbored in the intestinal tract, overall knowledge of the role of gut microbiome in the avian host lags far behind our understanding of mammals. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the potential differential effect of an urban modeled vs. control (i.e., bird seed) diet on the gut microbiome of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura).