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Summary: The focus of my thesis research is to document the physiological mechanisms behind the population bottleneck that occurs during a migrant raptor's annual cycle. There is evidence that migrating birds have elevated corticosterone levels, a hormone known to have a dampening impact on immune function. I will be assessing the strength of the cell-mediated immunity response in kestrels during the migration, breeding, and winter seasons. Corticosterone levels, age, sex, H:L ratios, total WBC counts, and a BCI will be included as potential influences on the immune response.
This study will have implications for our understanding of migratory species. With the rising avian flu and West Nile Virus threats to bird populations, understanding when species are most vulnerable immunologically may help in making conservation biology management decisions that prevent disease from significantly reducing populations.