Influence of Hand Rearing and Bird Age on the Fecal Microbiota of the Critically Endangered Kakapo

• Published in: Applied and environmental microbiology Vol. 80; no. 15; pp. 4650 - 4658
• Main Authors: Waite, David W., Eason, Daryl K., Taylor, Michael W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 01.08.2014
• Subjects: Age Factors; Animal care; Animals; Aves; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Biodiversity; Birds; Community structure; Endangered & extinct species; Endangered Species; Feces - microbiology; Female; Humans; Male; Microbial Ecology; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Molecular Sequence Data; Parrots - growth & development; Parrots - microbiology; Phylogeny; Population number; Specimen Handling - instrumentation; Specimen Handling - methods; Wildlife management; New Zealand

The critically endangered New Zealand parrot, the kakapo, is subject to an intensive management regime aiming to maintain bird health and boost population size. Newly hatched kakapo chicks are subjected to human intervention and are frequently placed in captivity throughout their formative months. H...