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Environmental Drivers on Blue Tit Nest Microbiome: An Experimental Study.

Marina García-Del Río¹, Tamara Martin-Pozas², Sergio Sanchez-Moral³

¹Department of Evolutionary Ecology National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) Madrid Spain.

Ecology and Evolution

|July 15, 2026

Summary

Nest microclimate significantly impacts avian fungal and bacterial communities. Increased humidity and temperature promoted fungal growth, potentially harming Blue Tit nestlings through pathogenic fungi and affecting ectoparasite loads.

Keywords:

bacteria fungi humidity microclimate temperature

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Area of Science:

Avian ecology
Microbiology
Environmental science

Background:

The microclimate within avian nesting cavities influences microbial communities.
These microbial communities can impact host well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of experimental temperature and humidity manipulations on the Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nest microbiome.
To examine associations between the nest microbiome, parasitism, and host condition.

Main Methods:

Metabarcoding analysis using 16S rRNA and ITS2 regions.
Experimental manipulation of nest temperature and humidity.

Main Results:

Bacterial beta diversity differed significantly with increased humidity, while alpha diversity remained unaffected.
Elevated temperature and humidity increased fungal richness and altered fungal composition.
Potentially pathogenic fungi proliferated in humidified nests, correlating with poorer nestling body condition.

Conclusions:

Nest microclimate is a critical factor shaping avian nest microbiomes.
Interactions between microclimate, microbial communities, ectoparasites, and nestling development are complex.
This study provides novel insights into the ecological effects of microclimatic conditions in avian nesting environments.