Several scientific reasons support continuing bird collection in Colombia, a megadiverse country with modest science financing. Despite the recognized value of biological collections for the rigorous study of biodiversity, there is scarce information on the monetary costs of specimens. We present results for three expeditions conducted in Santander (municipalities of Cimitarra, El Carmen de Chucurí, and Santa Barbara), Colombia, during 2018 to collect bird voucher specimens, quantifying the costs of obtaining such material. After a sampling effort of 1290 mist net hours and occasional collection using an airgun, we collected 300 bird voucher specimens, representing 117 species from 30 families. Such collection represents one of the largest series obtained during the historical ornithological exploration of Santander. We report differences among expeditions regarding the capture rate in mist nets, as well as differences in the sizes of taxa collected by mist nets and airgun. We discuss results in the context of previous ornithological expeditions in Colombia, commenting issues on the biology of some species, particularly those considered as noteworthy records (e.g., Red-legged Tinamou [Crypturellus erythropus], Cinnamon Screech Owl [Megascops petersoni], Saffron-headed Parrot [Pyrilia pyrilia], Black Inca [Coeligena prunellei], and Chestnut-crowned Gnateater [Conopophaga castaneiceps]). We calculated that the costs of obtaining and curating a specimen in Colombia, including tissues for molecular analysis, was ~US$60.4 (~$196 176 COP), which is among published costs of obtaining voucher specimens in other taxa and countries. These costs must be considered an investment in scientific capital because voucher specimens will provide biological information for hundreds of years.

Agraz (Vaccinium meridionale Swartz) is a shrub native to the Neotropical region of South America, including Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Peru. Known for its edible fruits valued for their nutritional, nutraceutical, and medicinal properties, the species remains underexplored despite its potential. This research aimed to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of agraz in Colombia, focusing on native individuals from Santander and commercial individuals from Boyacá and Cundinamarca, providing insights that can support conservation and genetic improvement efforts. Methods: In this study, genotyping by sequencing (GBS) was used to analyze genetic variation and population structure in V. meridionale. The sequencing data were aligned to the V. corymbosum cv. Draper v1.0 reference genome. The obtained single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were employed to evaluate genetic diversity, population differentiation, and inbreeding coefficients, with measures such as expected heterozygosity and F-statistics providing insights into population structure and genetic composition across regions. Results: A total of 12,910 SNPs were obtained, and the results revealed moderate genetic diversity within the agraz populations, characterized by an expected heterozygosity (He) of 0.3586. A negative Fis value indicated an excess of heterozygosity and low genetic differentiation among the sampled regions. Population structure analysis identified three distinct subpopulations, with Subpopulation 3 exhibiting the most unique genetic composition. Conclusions: This study provides the first genetic diversity analysis of V. meridionale in Colombia using the GBS approach. The findings contribute to the understanding of the species’ genetic variability and offer valuable information for conservation strategies, genetic improvement and breeding programs to enhance its agricultural potential and ensure the sustainable utilization of agraz resources.

La infección causada por haemosporidios en colibríes no ha sido estudiada en zonas agroforestales o urbanas de la vertiente occidental de la Cordillera Oriental de los Andes en el departamento de Santander, pese a existir evidencia de esta en otros grupos de aves. Con el fin de detectar e identificar los parásitos causales de infecciones por haemosporidios, se tomaron muestras de sangre de la vena yugular de colibríes en seis localidades. La presencia de infección se llevó a cabo por PCR y la identificación de los parásitos se hizo a partir de secuencias del gen mitocondrial Citocromo b (Cyt b). Se obtuvieron 86 muestras de sangre de 20 especies de colibríes. La prevalencia de infección en general fue del 43 % y en el 18 % de las muestras infectadas del colibrí Amazilia colirufa (Amazilia tzacatl) se identificaron secuencias de Haemoproteus archilochus correspondientes al linaje HUMHA4. Se reporta por primera vez para Colombia la presencia de H. archilochus en A. tzacatl, por medio de técnicas de biología molecular. Este parásito podría estar implicado en la haemoproteosis de colibríes en el país.

The primer design is critical for amplifying gene regions because the specificity that primer-sequence maintain can cause success or failure in the PCR reaction. Concerning Potamotrygon magdalenae (a species of interest according to the PAN Tiburones-Colombia), there is little information available about aspects related to population genetics of this river stingray. This study aimed to design primers under DNA Loss Model (DNA-LM) criteria, which will allow assessing the genetics status of populations of P. magdalenae. We aligned sequences from the superfamily Dayastoidea, available in the NCBI, of the mitochondrial genes Cytochrome C Oxidase 1 (MT-CO1) and Cytochrome b (MT-CYB). We followed the parameters Gap open penalty (5), Gap extension penalty (0.2) and Terminal gap penalties (0.1) and selected two pairs of primers according to the DNA-LM. We calculated the amplified product of the MTCO1 gene in 916 pb and the MT-CYB gene in 774 pb in samples from different swamps of the middle Magdalena. We discussed the results from the perspective of validating the specificity of the primers designed, considering the correspondence and identity of gene sequences considered. The primers reported here will contribute to broadening the knowledge of population genetics, biogeography and phylogenetic of the river stingray P. magdalenae.

Haemosporidians ( Plasmodium , Haemoproteus , and Leucocytozoon ) are blood parasites that infect birds and other vertebrates worldwide. Infections can cause disease that reduces survival and reproductive success, and may even lead to mortality. They are primarily assessed through prevalence, a population parameter that varies among species, regions, and seasons due to environmental and ecological factors. Although meta-analyses on this parameter exist, none globally synthesize data across the three haemosporidian genera and current detection methods (PCR and microscopy). The objective of this systematic review was to determine the overall prevalence of haemosporidian parasites in wild birds distributed across different zoogeographic regions. The review was conducted following the methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for scoping reviews and was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) to estimate pooled prevalence and assess variation according to diagnostic method, continent, parasite genus, and bird family. The global pooled prevalence was 12.3%, with estimates of 12.1% by PCR and 13.1% by microscopy. Regardless of the diagnostic method, the continents with the highest prevalence were Africa (P _MIC = 22.3%; P _PCR = 13.5%) and Europe (P _MIC = 28.6%; P _PCR = 12.6%). The high heterogeneity among studies suggests that multiple biological, environmental, and methodological factors contribute to global variation in infection patterns. This study provides the first global reference of haemosporidian parasite prevalence in wild birds and highlights the need for standardized reporting of environmental and methodological variables to better understand the drivers of avian malaria dynamics.

Potamotrygon magdalenae is the only freshwater stingray species reported to be endemic to Colombia, inhabiting the Magdalena-Cauca, San Jorge, Atrato, and Catatumbo River basins. While aspects of its ecology, reproduction, and biochemistry are well understood, its population genetics remain underexplored, particularly given the various threats it faces. To assess the population structure of P. magdalenae, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA sequences of the MT-CYB gene from 60 individuals sampled across three swamps in the middle Magdalena River basin. Our analysis of 693-bp sequences revealed 24 variable sites across 22 haplotypes (hd = 0.83277, π = 0.00246). Significant gene flow was observed between the swamps, supporting the hypothesis that P. magdalenae constitutes a single panmictic population (ΦST = -0.0083, p = 0.68035). Tajima’s D test (D = -1.62, p < 0.05) and Fu’s Fs-test (Fs = -4.59, p < 0.02) indicate a recent population expansion following a bottleneck event, likely due to habitat degradation, despite the limitations of molecular marker. No genetic differentiation was found across the 200 km study area, and genetic estimates were comparable to those of other fish species endemic to the Magdalena River.