Data from: Adaptive immunity modulation linked to migratory behaviour in two partially migratory hoopoe populations (Upupa epops)
Data files
Mar 12, 2025 version files 24.94 KB
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data_immune_hoopoe.csv
19.28 KB
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README.md
5.65 KB
Abstract
Ecophysiology has enhanced our understanding of avian migration, yet many aspects of how these processes interrelate are still unclear. Partially migratory populations provide an ideal framework for its study in the wild, since resident and migratory individuals coexist temporarily in the same area, and face similar selection pressures. We focused on two Iberian populations of Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops), a trans-Saharan long-distance migrant, to explore the links between the immune system and migratory behaviour. We determined the migratory status of individual hoopoes using stable isotope analysis of deuterium (2H) and measured a number of immunological parameters, including estimates of innate and adaptive immunity, as well as body condition, and muscle and fat stores. Our results indicate that resident hoopoes had higher IgY levels and higher muscle and fat stores compared to migrants during the breeding season. Moreover, we found seasonal variation in leukocyte profiles of resident birds, with higher H/L ratios in winter than during the breeding season. We observed significantly higher H/L ratios and complement activity in resident males than in resident females, but not within migratory birds. Overall, we show differences in immune response linked to migratory behaviour in partial migratory populations. This study contributes to unraveling the associations between physiological status and migratory behaviour and ultimately helps to understand how different migratory strategies are maintained in partially migratory populations.
<10.1111/jav.03383>
Description of the data and file structure
Data were collected by the authors during 2022-2024 in two localities in the Iberian Peninsula. Birds were captured and sampled under the corresponding permissions. Physiological variables were obtained through laboratory assays from plasma samples.
File name
data_immune_hoopoe.csv
Variables description
| Variable | |
|---|---|
| fieldnum | sample identification number |
| ring | individual metal ring number |
| season | season of bird capture (breeding/winter) |
| date | julian day (1 = January 1, 2023) |
| year | natural year of capture (2022/2023/2024) |
| cycle | cycle of capture: cycle 1 = from dec 2022 to jan 2023; cycle 2 = from march 2023 to feb 2024. This variable is included in the analysis as "year". |
| locality | locality of capture (guadix/plasencia) |
| behaviour | migratory behaviour: migrant (mg), resident (rs), unknown (un) |
| age | age class: subadult (1), adult (2), unknown (0) |
| sex | sex: female (F), male (M), unknown (U) |
| mass | body mass measured with pesola (gr.) |
| tar | tarsus lentgh measured with calliper (mm) |
| fat | fat accumulation score (from 0 to 3) |
| muscle | muscle score (from 0.5 to 3) |
| cond | body condition calculated from the mass/tarsus regression (residuals) |
| h_l | Heterophils/Lymphocites ratio |
| agglutination | agglutination score: last dilution showing agglutination (i.e. concentration of natural antibodies) |
| lysis | lysis score: last dilution showing lysis (i.e. complement activity) |
| elisa_abs1 | absorbance value from ELISA assay |
| elisa_abs2 | replicate absorbance value from ELISA assay |
| hapto_raw1 | absorbance value from haptoglobin concentration assay |
| hapto_raw2 | replicate absorbance value from haptoglobin concentration assay |
| hapto_log | log-transformed concentration of haptoglobin protein (mg/ml) |
| batch_hahl | number of batch in hemolysis-hemagglutination assay |
| plate_hahl | number of plate in hemolysis-hemagglutination assay |
| plate_hp | number of plate in haptoglobin concentration assay |
| plate_igy | number of plate in ELISA assay |
Missing data: blank squares
Code/Software
All analyses were conducted using R (v 4.2.2). Script code is available at GitHub public repository https://github.com/MercePalacios/hoopoe_code
