Table 2 Number of nests (only for brooding females and nestlings) and individuals from which we sampled their uropygial skin surface and secretion, to isolate mesophilic and enterococci bacteria.

From: Nesting hoopoes cultivate in their uropygial gland the microbial symbionts with the highest antimicrobial capacity

 

Bacterial colonies

Individuals sampled

Sampled nests

Mesophilic

Enterococci

Mesophilic

Enterococci

Nestlings (n = 24)

  Gland skin

158

136

24

24

8

  Secretion

139

114

23

20

7

  Total

297

250

24

24

8

Brooding females (n = 3)

  Gland skin

12

15

2

3

3

  Secretion

15

10

2

2

2

  Total

27

25

2

3

3

Males (n = 5)

     

  Gland skin

20

22

4

5

 

  Secretion

12

0

3

0

 

  Total

32

22

4

5

 

Non-brooding females (n = 2)

  Gland skin

12

2

2

1

 

  Secretion

10

0

1

0

 

  Total

22

2

2

1

 

  Total gland skin

202

175

32

33

8

  Total secretion

176

124

29

22

7

GRAND TOTAL

378

299

32

33

8

  1. We also show the number of mesophilic and enterococci bacteria from different types of samples and individuals that were tested against different indicator bacteria to estimate their antimicrobial activity. Total number of birds sampled per group is shown in the first column (n).
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