Constitutive immune function is not associated with fuel stores in
spring migrating passerine birds
Abstract
Migratory birds may either upregulate their immune system during
migration as they might encounter novel pathogens or downregulate their
immune system as a consequence of trade-offs with the resource costs of
migration. Support for the latter comes not least from a study that
reports a positive correlation in autumn migrating birds between fuel
stores and parameters of innate and acquired immune function, i.e.,
energy exhausted migrants appear to have lowered immune function.
However, to our knowledge, no study has tested whether this pattern
exists in spring migrating birds, which may face other trade-offs than
autumn migrants. Here, we investigate if in spring there is a
relationship between fuel stores and microbial killing ability, a
measure of innate immune function, and total immunoglobulin (IgY), a
measure of acquired immune function, in four migrating bird species:
Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), Dunnocks (Prunella modularis), Song
thrushes (Turdus philomelos) and Northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe).
We found no correlation between fuel stores and bacterial killing
ability or IgY levels in any of the species. However, there was a
significant negative correlation between microbial killing ability and
Julian date in Song thrushes and Northern wheatears, and between IgY
levels and Julian date in Song thrushes. Sex did not affect immune
function in any of the species. Our study suggests that the relationship
between immune function and fuel stores may be different during spring
migration compared to autumn migration. Differences in the speed of
migration or pathogen pressure may result in different outcomes of the
trade-off between investment in immune function and in migration among
the seasons.