Ornithologists Respond #3 re: Bird die-off in Argentina & WNV

<x-flowed>This response is forwarded from ProMED-mail <http://www.promedmail.org>:

Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003
From: Alejandro Mendez <amendez@fibertel.com.ar> [in Spanish]
Via: Pablo Nart <p.nart@vet.gla.ac.uk> [translated by Maria Jacobs]

None of the 4 groups of birds mentioned is migratory. They are all local
wild birds that people commonly care for and feed, even the pigeons that to
some are a nuisance but to others the object of affection. Pigeons and
doves, troupials [orioles], cardinals, and thrushes:

Pigeons and doves:
a. _Columba picazuro_
b. _Columba livia_
c. _Zenaida auriculata_
d. _Columbina picui_
e. _Leptotila verreauxi_

Troupials [orioles]: [translated as "thrushes" in the original post]
a. _Icterus cayanensis_
b. _Molothrus rufoaxillaris_
c. _Molothrus bonariensis_
d. _Molothrus badius_
e. _Agelaius ruficapillus_
f. _Agelaius thilius_
g. _Pseudoleistes virescens_
h. _Amblyramphus holosericeus_
i. _Sturnella superciliaris_

Cardinals:
a. _Paroaria coronata_

Thrushes: [translated as "fieldfares" in the original post]
a. _Turdus amaurochalinus_
b. _Turdus rufiventris_

Source: Guia para la identificacion de las Aves de Argentina y Uruguay. T.
Narosky--D. Yzurieta. Asociacion Ornitologica del Plata--Vazquez Mazzini
Editores--Cuarta Edicion 1993, Buenos Aires,346 pages.
<http://www.avesargentinas.org.ar/>

The migratory birds from the United States have a winter station in Punta
Rasa [Argentina] where, for many years, they have been studied by local and
American ornithologists. The station is managed by ornithologist Esteban
Bremer <bremer@rpm-net.com.ar> of the Fresh Water and Wetlands Program,
Argentine Wildlife Foundation <http://www.vidasilvestre.org.ar/>. Going
back to the case of the dead birds, I think the most likely source of
contamination, according to the report of a municipal officer, were the
caterpillars of _Colias lesbia_ (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), a pest of alfalfa.
The birds could have eaten caterpillars that were contaminated by a
pesticide that was applied at around the same time in a field in that area.

--
Alejandro Mendez
<amendez@fibertel.com.ar>
[So the West Nile virus theory is dead in this case. However, we hope the
people at the Argentine migratory bird station will be on the alert for
sick migrants from the Northern Hemisphere. - Mod.JW]
[see also:
Bird die-off - Argentina (Buenos Aires) (02) 20030115.0125
Bird die-off - Argentina (Buenos Aires)      20030110.0086]
--
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