Hematological indicators of physical condition in shorebirds in wetlands of Patagonia, Argentina.

LUCIANA GALLO; VERÓNICA L. D´AMICO

La Rochelle, Francia

Conferencia; Wader Study Group 2007 Meeting; 2007

International Wader Study Group

Due to the vulnerability of migratory shorebirds and the current concern for their population declines, many aspects of their ecology are being the focus of conservation efforts. Thus, the study of physical condition emerge as an important measurement to their preservation. In this context, the assessment of hematological values allows to determine the health of individuals, being the cell blood counts a good and sensitive indicator. Among others, hematological parameters include leukocytes and erythrocytes. The leukocytes form a complex system that produce a cell-mediated immune response and the erythrocytes are good indicators of the general physical condition of birds. The total number of leukocytes and erythrocytes can indicate if birds are dedicating their energetic resources either to preserve their immunity or to recover their physical condition in a certain moment. This study proposes an evaluation of hematological parameters in migratory shorebirds that use both coastal and inland wetlands of Patagonia, Argentina, as stopovers and wintering areas. The study will be based on the total and differential counts of leukocytes and erythrocytes in blood smears. In addition, it contributes to obtaining reference values in free-living migratory shorebirds for the neartic birds, which migrate from the breeding grounds in the Arctic to the wintering sites in South America as well as for the neotropical ones, which migrate inside South America.