16S rRNA gene sequencing of Molothrus ater, Protonotaria citrea, and Geothlypis trichas nestlings. Raw sequence reads
16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4 region from fecal samples of obligate brood parasite Brown-headed cowbird (BHCO, Molothrus ater) nestlings, and both parasitized and non-parasitized Prothonotary Warbler (PROW, Protonotaria citrea), and Common Yellowthroat (COYE, Geothlypis trichas) nestlings in 2018-2019. Study 1: BHCO and PROW nestling fecal samples opportunistically collected during 2018 and 2019 from nestling boxes at 4 discrete swamp locations in Southern Illinois, USA. BHCO nestlings were raised by PROW hosts. Study 2: BHCO and COYE nestling fecal samples opportunistically collected during 2019-2020 from nesting boxes at a single site in Kennekuk State Park in East-Central Illinois, USA. BHCO nestlings were raised by COYE, Eastern Towhee (EATO, Pipilo erythrophthalmus), Field Sparrow (FISP, Spizella pusilla), Indigo Bunting (INBU, Passerina cyanea), Northern Cardinal (NOCA, Cardinalis cardinalis), or Yellow-Breasted Chat (YBCH, Icteria virens) hosts. Goals of these studies were to investigate (1) how parasitism impacts the microbiome of host nestlings, (2) whether BHCO nestlings harbor distinct microbial communities from their host nestmates, (3) whether the presence of an interspecific nestmate influences the BHCO nestling microbiome, (4) whether BHCO nestlings raised by different host avian species harbor distinct microbial communities, (5) how sampling locality, year of sampling, and estimated nestling age influence the nestling microbiomes.