Table 1.

Hematological parameters assessed in this study, including the typical response to parasite infection and their reported associations with reproduction and survival in birds and mammals. MCV has a more variable relationship with parasite infection, possibly because it depends on the relative magnitude of changes in RBC and HCT.

Parameter	Definitionl	Biological significancel	Response to parasite infection	Association with reproduction	Association with survival
Red blood cells (RBC)	Number of red blood cells in a set volume of blood	Aerobic capacity, blood loss, regeneration	Decreasea,b
Hemoglobin (HG)	Amount of hemoglobin protein in a set volume of blood	Oxygen binding capacity of blood	Decreasea,b,c	Positived	Positivee,f
Hematocrit (HCT)	Percentage of red blood cells in a set volume of blood	Number and size of RBC, aerobic capacity	Decreasea,b,c,g,h	Positived	Positivei
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)	Average size of red blood cells (HCT/RBC)	RBC age and regeneration	Decreasea or Increaseb	Positivej,k

^aGill et al. (2007).

^bSelvam and Baskaran (1996).

^cPfafle et al. (2009).

^dAllen (2000).

^eChen et al. (2009).

^fQiu et al. (2010).

^gLotfollahzadeh et al. (2008).

^hAumont et al. (1991).

ⁱChambellan et al. (2005).

^jBearhop et al. (1999).

^kNoyce and Garshelis (1994).

^lHarmening (1997).