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A total of 664 swab samples from the nests and eggs of Tree Swallows breeding at 15 localities in the United States and Canada. I will use these samples to characterize the microbial communities that female Tree Swallows encounter during nest building and egg-laying to better understand the environmental factors that influence their deposition of protective immune compounds into eggs (e.g., antibodies). I am also testing whether the eggshell surface selects for certain microbes, creating different communities. |