Microbiota sequences of birds from Israel

We are studying wild populations of birds that live in or migrate through Israel. The primary aim of the study is to understand the role that migratory birds play in spreading various disease causing agents around the world. As part of this project, we are studying the microbiota of the birds that we catch and relating this to their disease status, movement, and other phenotypic traits. We are studying barn owls (Tyto alba), barn swallows (Hirundo rustica), common cranes (Grus grus), common buzzards (Buteo buteo), and mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos).