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We examined how ectoparasites affect body condition and other traits that indicate individual health in mountain white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha; hereafter, MWCS). We also investigated the factors that potentially influence susceptibility to ectoparasites in the MWCS population. Using both visual inspection and dust-ruffling, we determined ectoparasite loads in individual MWCS of a wild population. We related ectoparasite load to various life-history traits, including body condition, crown-white proportion, and sex. Our results show that crown-white proportion, a correlate of condition and a strong social signal, is lower in individuals hosting macro-ectoparasites. This is likely a balance of the effect of ectoparasites on their hosts with ectoparasites selecting for high conditioned hosts. We observed a significantly higher ectoparasite load in male MWCS than in females which may be attributed to physiological and behavioral differences between the sexes. This study highlights the need for additional experiments that can isolate health effects of ectoparasitism from traits that increase susceptibility of ectoparasitic infestation. Thus, we may be able to determine the effect of ectoparasite load on social signaling, sexual selection, and overall health.
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