Ecological interactions between ectoparasites and wild birds from fragments forest and cerrado in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

The prevalence of ticks, feather mites and chewing lice was determined in 467 individuals of 67 species of birds from fragments forest and cerrado habitats captured with mist nets at two protected areas in Minas Gerais, Brazil, between March and September of 1997. The feather mites presented the greater value of prevalence (76%), chewing lice and ticks showed low levels of infestation (13 and 15%). The prevalence of ticks on the birds, varied based on the taxonomy and the diet of the hosts species and between forests, when comparing the two areas of study. The prevalence of feather mites varied based on the diet, degree of dependency of forests, participation in mixed flocks, with the type of vegetation (forests and cerrado) and if the hosts birds were captured in the interior or at the edge of the forest. The prevalence of chewing lice changed with the diet, degree of dependency of the forest, participation in mixed flocks and place of the forest in which the hosts birds were collected. This could be explained by the fact that the ticks, chewing lice and feather mites, have different cycles of life, habitats, habits, levels of adaptation, specificity and co-evolution with its hosts. The ectoparasites affect their hosts in a different way, generating tolerance or mechanisms of defense that can reflect different intensities of infestation.