Tick infestations and their consequences for migratory songbirds during spring stopover

In preparation for migration, birds require a great deal of resources. While foraging for those resources, birds may encounter parasites that are also in search of resources. Ticks specifically have been noted on captured migrants for years. As parasites, one would assume an additional loss of nutrients during such a critical time would negatively impact migrants traveling hundreds of miles to their destination. By capturing and systematically searching migrants in Johnson's Bayou, Louisiana, I hope to better understand the effects that feeding ticks have on those birds attempting to rest and refuel. I am also interested in the distribution of tick parasitism in migrants. Do ground foraging birds acquire more ticks than canopy foraging birds? I am interested in how ticks affect these birds directly. Does having an attached tick decrease physical characteristics such as muscle mass and fat as compared to those birds that do not have ticks? Do ticks affect blood factors such as hematocrit or immune and hormonal responses? As ticks feed on their various hosts' blood they may acquire pathogens. I want to know if birds act as vectors for tick-borne disease and if they are transporting ticks from the tropics. I believe that a better understanding of parasite-host interactions among migratory birds will give better insight into disease transmission and further understanding of the struggles that migrants face during their seasonal journeys.

Background

I have always had a love for science, however choosing a field was difficult.Originally an astrophysics major, I first became interested in biology as a transfer sophomore thanks to a fantastic professor. My interest in birds developed while studying Tropical Ecology in Belize in 2005. I became truly enthralled in biology while working as an undergraduate TA in the freshman labs at USM. I then worked with Zoltán Németh in the Migratory Bird Research Group studying seasonal phenotypic plasticity in gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis) from 2006-2007.