Helminth Infections in Pheasants from Brown County, South Dakota

Abstract

The viscera of 262 wild ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were examined for helminth parasites. All of the birds were taken in Brown County, South Dakota, during various months of 1961. The collection consisted of 92 adults, 165 juveniles (young-of-the-year), and 5 birds of undetermined age. Parasitic worms were found in 97 (37.02 percent) of the pheasants, with 86 harboring only a single species of helminth. The cecal worm (Heterakis gallinarum) was the most prevalent helminth, occurring in 92 (35.11 percent) of the birds; this incidence was distributed throughout the year and was significantly higher in adult birds. The tapeworm (Choanotaenia infundibulum) was found in 15 birds (5.73 percent), but did not occur in any of the 106 birds taken during the winter. The intestinal nematode (Ascaridia galli) was found in one bird. Despite the fact that the ring-necked pheasant has long been established as the principal game bird of eastern South Dakota, little information has been available regarding the parasites of the bird in this area. Moreover, few parasite surveys have been reported from other areas of the United States where the ring-necked pheasant has become established in the wild state. The purpose of the present study was to ascertain the incidence of helminth parasites in the pheasants from a single representative county and to investigate any correlation between parasitism and age of bird, seasonal distribution of parasites, and any gross pathology which might be associated with parasitism. Brown County forms part of the northern boundary of eastern South Dakota. Its physiographic position is in the flat James River basin in the glaciated Central Lowlands province of the Mississippi River drainage basin. Food and shelter are plentiful, and characteristically a large pheasant population is supported. We considered this to be a representative locality in which to conduct the study. Acknowledgment is due the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks for assistance in collecting pheasants. The present report has been taken from a thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.S. degree.