Haemosporidian prevalence in Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis nestlings: impact on body condition and geographic distribution in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

ABSTRACTCapsule: Nestling Southern Grey Shrikes Lanius meridionalis show a high prevalence of haemosporidian parasites including five lineages described here for the first time.Aims: To examine the prevalence of various haemosporidian lineages in nestlings of three separated Iberian populations of the Southern Grey Shrike.Methods: Blood samples were taken from nestling Southern Grey Shrikes from three agroecosystem areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Parasites were detected from blood samples using polymerase chain reaction screening.Resusts: Nestlings were parasitized by 11 different lineages belonging to the genera Haemoproteus (3.8%), Plasmodium (0.5%) and Leucocytozoon (1.8%), including five new undescribed lineages. These are among the highest prevalence levels of haemosporidians parasites (7.4%) for nestlings of passerine birds.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the distribution of avian haemosporidians is determined by complex effects including climate and biogeography. Most parasite lineages were not universally spread across shrike populations, despite being otherwise widespread both geographically and taxonomically.