# Characterization and Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbiomes in Fourteen Parrot Species

## TL;DR

This study explores the gut microbiomes of 14 parrot species, finding that diet and environment influence microbial diversity more than the parrot's species.

## Contribution

The study provides baseline data on gut microbiota in companion parrots, highlighting the role of environmental factors over host species.

## Key findings

- Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were consistently present in all parrots.
- Lactobacillus was commonly detected, suggesting it may be a core bacterial group in parrots.
- Microbial diversity varied greatly among individuals, indicating environmental factors influence gut microbiomes more than host species.

## Abstract

The gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as an important factor that influences animal health, digestion, and disease susceptibility. However, data on companion birds, particularly parrots, remains limited. This study analyzed the fecal gut microbiota of 31 parrots from 14 psittacine species using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Although major bacterial groups such as Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were consistently present across all parrots, microbial diversity and community composition varied greatly among individuals, even within the same species. No clear species-specific microbial patterns were observed, suggesting that environmental factors, such as diet and husbandry, play a greater role in shaping the gut microbiome of parrots than host species. Lactobacillus was commonly detected across samples, indicating a potential core bacterial group in parrots. These findings provide foundational data on the gut microbiota of parrots and may inform future microbiome-based approaches to improve the health, nutrition, and management of captive parrots in veterinary practice.

Although the gut microbiome constitutes a key component of vertebrate physiology, comparative baseline data for companion birds, particularly parrots, remain limited. Therefore, this study profiled the fecal gut microbiota of 31 privately owned companion parrots representing 14 psittacine species maintained in indoor household environments for >6 months. Amplicons targeting the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene were sequenced, denoised into amplicon sequence variants using QIIME 2 with DADA2, and taxonomically assigned against the SILVA v132 database. Community composition was broadly dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, with recurrent detection of Lactobacillus across most samples, consistent with a potential core component of the gut microbiome of captive parrots. Taken together, this study provides an exploratory comparative snapshot of fecal gut microbiota across diverse companion parrot species and establishes baseline reference data for future research linking diet, husbandry practices, and health to microbiome variation, including longitudinal and wild–captive comparative investigations.