Anna's hummingbird microbiome analysis

The gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome is an important mediator and indicator of host physiology, health, and fitness in many vertebrate systems, but sources of variation in microbiome composition within species are poorly understood, particularly in free-ranging birds. Hummingbirds have GI anatomy and physiology similar to other avian species, but they have a relatively rapid gastrointestinal transit rate, which could affect microbiome structure. To date, it has not been elucidated if microbiomes isolated from feces and samples from sections of the GI tract differ in an avian organism that has a rapid gastrointestinal time. Here, we test the hypothesis that the microbiome in free-ranging and wildlife rehabilitation-sourced Anna’s Hummingbirds (Calypte anna) differ between fecal and samples from three sections of the GI tract and between birds that differ in sex, age and pox virus infection status. We characterized bacterial composition in fecal and GI tract samples from Anna’s Hummingbir...