Annual cycle variations in the gut microbiota of migratory black-necked cranes

IntroductionMigratory birds exhibit unique annual cycles that complicate their gut microbiota. However, the annual dynamics of gut microbiota in migratory birds remain unclear, hindering our understanding of their environmental adaptation.MethodsHere, we collected fecal samples from black-necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) across four seasons at their breeding grounds and used wintering ground data from databases to characterize their gut microbial compositions throughout the year.Results and discussionThe results showed that the gut microbiota was clustered by season (Bray-Curtis: R2 = 0.348, p