Data from: Neotropical migratory and resident birds occurring in sympatry during winter have distinct haemosporidian parasite assemblages

Aim: We compared the parasite assemblages of over-wintering migratory
birds and permanent residents on the wintering grounds. We determined
whether parasite sharing between migratory and resident birds is
influenced by host phylogenetic relatedness. We then inferred whether
migratory birds transport haemosporidian parasite lineages between the
breeding and wintering grounds. Location: Sierra de Bahoruco National
Park, Dominican Republic, Hispaniola Taxa: Migratory and resident birds
(primarily Aves: Passeriformes) and their haemosporidian parasites (order
Haemosporida, Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus). Methods: We
used mist nets to capture birds in thorn scrub, broadleaf dry forests, and
pine forests during midwinter. We used molecular methods to recognize
haemosporidian parasites in blood samples, and genotyped infections based
on the nucleotide differences in a region of the parasite cytochrome b
gene. Results and Main Conclusion: We identified 505 infections by 32
haemosporidian parasite lineages in 1780 blood samples from 37 resident
species, and in 901 blood samples from 14 overwintering migratory species,
over five years at the same sites. Infection prevalence varied among
migratory species from zero to 13%, whereas infection prevalence among
resident species ranged up to 77%. Host relatedness did not predict
parasite assemblage similarity. We discuss four hypotheses for the rarity
of haemosporidian infections in migratory birds during winter, and for the
infrequency of parasite sharing between migratory and resident birds: 1)
relative abundance and host preferences of dipteran vectors lower parasite
transmission to migratory birds; 2) parasite lineages adapted to infect
endemic Caribbean hosts are unable to infect migratory species; 3) the
physiology of migratory birds after migration and during winter reduces
parasite survival; and 4) infected individuals suffer more pronounced
rates during migration. We highlight the link between host-parasite
coevolution and the physiological adaptations associated with avian
seasonal migration.