Data and code from : Haemosporidian infections limit physiological adaptation to elevation in birds: Evidence from haemoglobin and fat reserves

This dataset contains individual-level physiological and haemosporidian infection data for birds associated with the manuscript “Haemosporidian infections limit physiological adaptation to elevation in birds: Evidence from haemoglobin and fat reserves”. Haemosporidian parasites may constrain physiological responses to hypoxia in birds by reducing oxygen-carrying capacity and altering energy allocation. We investigated the effects of haemosporidian infections on haemoglobin concentration and fat reserves in 926 birds representing 135 species sampled along a 1,600 m elevational gradient in Eswatini. The dataset includes haemoglobin concentration (Hb), fat scores, elevation classification, infection status, parasite genus (Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium, and Haemoproteus), and infected cell counts for each sampled individual. Additional variables include sampling date, locality, season, specimen identifiers, and bird taxonomic classification. The repository also includes metadata descriptions and R scripts used for statistical analyses.