| new species of haemosporidian parasites (haemosporida) from african rainforest birds, with remarks on their classification. | plasmodium (novyella) megaglobularis n. sp. was recorded in the olive sunbird cyanomitra olivacea, and plasmodium (novyella) globularis n. sp. and haemoproteus (parahaemoproteus) vacuolatus n. sp. were found in the yellow-whiskered greenbul andropadus latirostris in rainforests of ghana and cameroon. these parasites are described based on the morphology of their blood stages and a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, which can be used for molecular identification and diagnosis of thes ... | 2008 | 18668264 |
| new malaria parasites of the subgenus novyella in african rainforest birds, with remarks on their high prevalence, classification and diagnostics. | blood samples from 655 passerine birds were collected in rainforests of ghana and cameroon and examined both by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (pcr)-based techniques. the overall prevalence of plasmodium spp. was 46.6%, as determined by combining the results of both these diagnostic methods. in comparison to pcr-based diagnostics, microscopic examination of blood films was more sensitive in determining simultaneous infection of plasmodium spp., but both detection methods showed similar ... | 2009 | 19107524 |
| haemoproteus cyanomitrae sp. nov. (haemosporida: haemoproteidae) from a widespread african songbird, the olive sunbird, cyanomitra olivacea. | haemoproteus ( parahaemoproteus ) cyanomitrae n. sp. (haemosporida: haemoproteidae) was found in the olive sunbird, cyanomitra olivacea (nectariniidae), in rain forests of tropical africa. it is described based on the morphology of its blood stages and a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (genbank accession fj404696), which can be used for molecular identification and diagnosis of this species. fully grown gametocytes of new parasite are similar to many other species of haemoproteids ... | 2010 | 19691417 |
| prevalence and diversity patterns of avian blood parasites in degraded african rainforest habitats. | land use changes including deforestation, road construction and agricultural encroachments have been linked to the increased prevalence of several infectious diseases. in order to better understand how deforestation affects the prevalence of vector-borne infectious diseases in wildlife, nine paired sites were sampled (disturbed vs. undisturbed habitats) in southern cameroon. we studied the diversity, prevalence and distribution of avian malaria parasites (plasmodium spp.) and other related haemo ... | 2009 | 19754513 |
| spatial variation of haemosporidian parasite infection in african rainforest bird species. | spatial heterogeneity influences the distribution, prevalence, and diversity of haemosporidian parasites. previous studies have found complex patterns of prevalence with respect to habitat characteristics and parasite genotype, and their interactions, but there is little information regarding how parasitemia intensity and the prevalence of co-infections may vary in space. here, using both molecular methods and microscopy, we report an analysis of the variation of parasitemia intensity and co-inf ... | 2010 | 19860532 |
| spatially explicit predictions of blood parasites in a widely distributed african rainforest bird. | critical to the mitigation of parasitic vector-borne diseases is the development of accurate spatial predictions that integrate environmental conditions conducive to pathogen proliferation. species of plasmodium and trypanosoma readily infect humans, and are also common in birds. here, we develop predictive spatial models for the prevalence of these blood parasites in the olive sunbird (cyanomitra olivacea). since this species exhibits high natural parasite prevalence and occupies diverse habita ... | 2010 | 20880888 |
| deforestation does not affect the prevalence of a common trypanosome in african birds. | in spite of numerous reports of avian trypanosoma spp. in birds throughout the world, patterns of the distribution and prevalence of these blood parasites remains insufficiently understood. it is clear that spatial heterogeneity influences parameters of parasite distributions in natural populations, but data regarding avian trypanosomes are scarce. using microscopy and molecular diagnostic methods, we analysed the variation of prevalence of avian trypanosoma parasites in two widespread african b ... | 2016 | 27421797 |
| matrix intensification affects body and physiological condition of tropical forest-dependent passerines. | matrix land-use intensification is a relatively recent and novel landscape change that can have important influences on the biota within adjacent habitat patches. while there are immediate local changes that it brings about, the influences on individual animals occupying adjacent habitats may be less evident initially. high-intensity land use could induce chronic stress in individuals in nearby remnants, leading ultimately to population declines. we investigated how physiological indicators and ... | 2015 | 26107179 |
| trypanosoma naviformis sp. nov. (kinetoplastidae: trypanosomatidae) from widespread african songbirds, the olive sunbird (cyanomitra olivacea) and yellow-whiskered greenbul (andropadus latirostris). | trypanosoma naviformis n. sp. is described from the african olive sunbird cyanomitra olivacea in ghana based on the morphology of its hematozoic trypomastigotes and partial sequences of the small subunit ribosomal rna gene. this parasite belongs to the group of small non-striated avian trypanosomes (< 30 µm in length in average) with the kinetoplast situated close to the posterior end of the body. trypanosoma naviformis can be distinguished from other small avian trypanosomes due to its poorl ... | 2015 | 26624445 |
| sunbird pollination of strelitzia nicolai. | the role of sunbirds (nectariniidae) in the pollination ecology of strelitzia nicolai (musaceae) was studied for one year in a coastal dune forest in zululand, south africa. it was found that s. nicolai produced large quantities of low quality nectar (1.74 j/μl); that nectar production was highest during the day-time; and that the flowers displayed several characteristics attractive to bird-visitors. the flowers were large, conspicuous and provided the birds with a perch, facilitating easy acces ... | 1981 | 28310001 |
| molecular evolution in space and through time: mtdna phylogeography of the olive sunbird (nectarinia olivacea/obscura) throughout continental africa. | this study constitutes the first investigation of the phylogeographic structure of a forest bird distributed throughout the montane and lowland forest biomes of africa. the key objective was to investigate the importance of pleistocene climatic cycles on avian diversification across africa. the olive sunbird is a relatively large polytypic sunbird widely distributed throughout evergreen, montane and coastal forests in africa. recently, it was split into two species, the eastern olive sunbird (ne ... | 2004 | 15324839 |
| two new trypanosoma species from african birds, with notes on the taxonomy of avian trypanosomes. | trypanosoma anguiformis n. sp. and trypanosoma polygranularis n. sp. are described from the african olive sunbird, cyanomitra olivacea, and latham's forest francolin, francolinus lathami, respectively, based on the morphology of their hematozoic trypomastigotes and partial sequences of the small subunit ribosomal rna gene. both new species belong to the group of small non-striated avian trypanosomes (<30 µm in length on average) with the kinetoplast situated close to the posterior end of the bod ... | 2011 | 21563875 |
| territoriality and changes in resource use by sunbirds at leonotis leonurus (labiatae). | leonotis leonurus was studied with the aim of characterising nectar quality and quantity, and of monitoring the sunbirds' response to the resource. the flowers produced high quality nectar in low quantities. nectar quality remained constant during the day and averaged 23.4% sucrose equivalents (an energy content of 3.8j/μl). nectar production was highest during the morning when flow rates reached a peak of 3.3 μl/h. l. leonurus was visited by four species of sunbirds. in 1977 there were 7.8 visi ... | 1980 | 28310945 |