Associations between birds' nests, their pH, and keratinophilic fungi

Keratinophilic fungi were isolated from nest material after baiting with sterile wool. Chrysosporium spp. were the most frequent isolates; Arthroderma spp. were common, while Microsporum gypseum and conidial Ctenomyces serratus were recorded. An analysis of the pH range of the substrates upon which individual fungi occurred suggested that this might explain differences in distribution of fungi in the nests, and also variations between fungi found on feathers taken from the birds and the nest flora.