The microorganisms that inhabit the feathers of birds have not been widely studied. This is changing through advances in molecular biology, which enable faster and more accurate screening. A recent study has pinpointed the causative agent of a serious disease of birds to several species of bacteria. Many birds are at risk to a range of diseases caused by various microorganisms (as many tweets carried on Twitter attest); although for wild birds, bacterial diseases of the feathers are among the most prevalent.
The study has been undertaken by biologists at Ohio Wesleyan University. Here the tail-feather wear has been connected with a bacterial disease. This has been drawn from information relating to some 3,500 birds, made up of 154 different species. The samples were collected between 1996 and 2005. The samples had been preserved but not studied. At the time, methods of analysis were not sophisticated enough for such a vast array of samples.
For the study, the plumage was sampled and an attempt made to culture any microorganisms. The analysis revealed that the species of birds which undertake ground-foraging, aerial-foraging and fly-catching had a far greater number of harmful bacteria than other birds (such as those that engage in nectivorous, tree-probing, and marine-foraging behavaiors.)
In a research note, one of the chief scientists, Mr. Cody Kent said: “Work has shown that many organisms are capable of breaking down bird feathers, and several studies have linked bacterial load to factors with evolutionary implications.” By ‘evolutionary,’ Kent was referring to the way certain birds have adapted for optimal feeding, breeding success and survival.
The supervising researcher was Dr. Edward H. Burtt. Unfortunately, Dr. Burtt passed away before the research could be published. He has, however, left an important finding. It now seems there is a connection between the behavioural activities of birds and the risk of developing the plumage disease. Knowing this could help with conservation issues.
The research has been published in the journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances. The research paper is titled “Feather-degrading bacilli in the plumage of wild birds: Prevalence and relation to feather wear.”
