The mycobiota of faeces from the critically endangered kakapo and associated nest litter

The critically endangered kakapo is a flightless, nocturnal parrot endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. During the 2019 breeding season multiple kakapo on Whenua Hou, an island with one of the largest kakapo populations, contracted the respiratory fungal disease aspergillosis. Infection is caused by members of the genus Aspergillus which can seriously impact avian health and is often fatal to wild and domestic birds. We sought to understand how Aspergillus influenced the gut mycobiota of kakapo chicks and surrounding nest litter communities over a 10-week period. This study was conducted in parallel with another longitudinal project utilising the same samples where we investigated the influence of management practice on development of gut bacterial communities in kakapo chicks. Ultimately, aspergillosis infection had no significant impact on the fungal communities of kakapo chicks or nest litter, and nor did regular management practices (i.e. artificially removing faecal material from nests). Age and time, however, were significantly associated with variation in the mycobiotas of chick and nest samples. Overall, this study represents our first glimpse of the kakapo gut mycobiota and provides essential information and future research directions for the conservation of this rare species.

Automated summary

This study examined the impact of Aspergillus infection and management practices on the fungal communities in the gut of kakapo chicks. The results showed that neither the disease nor management practices had a significant effect on the fungal communities, but age and time were associated with variation in the mycobiotas of chicks and nests. This study provides important information and future research directions for the conservation of the critically endangered kakapo.