Bird blow flies: Benign blood-suckers or RUBL range retraction - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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bird blow flies benign blood suckers or rubl range
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Bird blow flies: Benign blood-suckers or RUBL range retraction - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

May 06, 2023 318 likes •570 views

Bird blow flies: Benign blood-suckers or RUBL range retraction rascals? Charlotte Harding and Carol Foss New Hampshire Audubon Findings from last year Nestling found with larvae attached 26/38 nests with P. shannoni puparia Most

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Bird blow flies: Benign blood-suckers or RUBL range retraction rascals?

Charlotte Harding and Carol Foss New Hampshire Audubon

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Findings from last year

  • Nestling found with

larvae attached

  • 26/38 nests with P.

shannoni puparia

  • Most severe: DIXI (31),

MI14 (35), COBR (77)

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Bird blow flies (Protocalliphora)

www.bioflycontrol.co.uk 24-48 hours 7-14 days or more depending on temp

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Bird blow flies (Protocalliphora)

www.bioflycontrol.co.uk 24-48 hours 7-14 days or more depending on temp Molt

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Bird blow flies (Protocalliphora)

www.bioflycontrol.co.uk 24-48 hours 7-14 days or more depending on temp Molt Molt Non-feeding prepupal stage

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Bird blow flies (Protocalliphora)

www.bioflycontrol.co.uk 24-48 hours 7-14 days Molt Molt Non-feeding prepupal stage

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Protocalliphora shannoni

  • Rare in west
  • Intermediate stratum and

canopy

  • Commonly associated with

American robins

  • Other confirmed hosts:

– Red-winged blackbird, common grackle, eastern bluebird, gray catbird, jays (blue and gray), thrushes (hermit; Swainson’s, wood), sparrows (song and white-throated), cedar waxwing, house wren, yellow-rumped warbler

*all IDs confirmed by T. Whitworth

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2016 Field Season

  • Learn more about blow fly parasitism of RUBLs
  • What makes nests more or less susceptible to severe

infestation?

  • Is blow fly parasitism decreasing RUBL nest success?
  • Is threat of blow fly parasitism increasing with

warmer weather patterns?

– Explosion of other blood-sucking ectoparasites

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Our Approach

  • 2 nest camera setups
  • Monitored nest activity
  • Nests collected after

fledging and sent for analysis

  • Rearing cages set up for 3

nests that had most severe infestations in 2015

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Nest Analysis

  • 17/25 nests infested
  • 6 nests - P. shannoni only
  • 5 nests - P. metallica only
  • 6 nests - mixed infestations
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Nest Analysis

  • 17/25 nests infested
  • 6 nests - P. shannoni only
  • 5 nests - P. metallica only
  • 6 nests - mixed infestations

Protocalliphora metallica

  • Ubiquitous
  • Frequently occurs in marsh habitats and infests ground-nesters
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Possible correlations

  • What makes nests more or less susceptible to

blow fly infestation?

– Nestling hatch date – Nest elevation – Nest latitude – Proximity to water sources – Proximity to roads

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2015 2016

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Future Directions

  • Continue nest collection
  • Better-quality nest footage
  • Nestling telemetry
  • Anemia testing

Future Directions

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Thank you!

  • Carol Foss
  • Terry Whitworth
  • Peter Mason
  • The 2016 RUBL field season team:

Patti Wohner, Shannon Luepold, Cassandra LaVoie, Katrina Fenton and Grace Mitchum

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COBR female eating eggshells

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COBR nestlings getting fed

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DIXI nestlings getting fed