... Summary: Measures of innate immune function vary with (1) handling stress over short time periods typical of field sample collection, and (2) the time of day that an individual is sampled. Innate immune function Ecological immunology Natural antibodies Complement Lysozyme acute phase protein...

..., further compromising the survival of individuals. However, the relationships between these parameters remain poorly understood. To this end, changes in body energy content, plasma corticosterone, adaptive (total plasma immunoglobulin Y; IgY) and innate (natural antibodies; NAbs) immune systems were...

... the first defence against pathogens. We manipulated the ectoparasite load of great tit ( Parus major ) nests by infesting them with hen fleas ( Ceratophyllus gallinae ) before egg laying. We subsequently quantified natural antibody (NAb) concentration and complement activation in nestlings and adult females...

... of the innate components (natural antibodies and complement-mediated lysis), and a modified quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in birds held in captivity to assess the acquired component (humoral antibodies against tetanus and diphtheria toxoid)of immunity. Ruddy turnstones showed the highest levels...