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House finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) balance investment in behavioural and immunological defences against pathogens

M. Zylberberg,K. Klasing,T. Hahn

2013 · DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0856
Biology Letters · 72 Citations

TLDR

It is shown that Carpodacus mexicanus (house finches) avoid sick individuals and that individuals investing less in behavioural defences invest more in immune defences, which has important implications for the dynamics of pathogen spread through populations, and ultimately the course of epidemics.