Data from: New host and lineage diversity of avian haemosporidia in the Northern Andes

The northern Andes, with their steep elevational and climate gradients,
are home to an exceptional diversity of flora and fauna, particularly rich
in avian species that have adapted to divergent ecological conditions.
With this diversity comes the opportunity for parasites to exploit a wide
breadth of avian hosts. However, little research has focused on examining
the patterns of prevalence and lineage diversity of avian parasites in the
Andes. Here, we screened a total of 428 birds from 19 species
(representing nine families) and identified 133 infections of avian
haemosporidia (31%), including lineages of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and
Leucocytozoon. We document a higher prevalence of haemosporidia at higher
elevations and lower temperatures, as well as an overall high diversity of
lineages in the northern Andes, including the first sequences of
haemosporidians reported in hummingbirds (31 sequences found in 11 species
within the family Trochilidae). Double infections were distinguished using
PHASE, which enables the separation of distinct parasite lineages. Results
suggest that the ecological heterogeneity of the northern Andes that has
given rise to a rich diversity of avian hosts may also be particularly
conducive to parasite diversification and specialization.