Low prevalence of haemosporidian and trypanosome infections in the Eurasian Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)

Abstract

Research on the occurrence and community composition of vector-transmitted protozoan haemoparasites in birds is heavily skewed toward passerines with many other orders underrepresented. In caprimulgids, a family of primarily ground-nesting, crepuscular/nocturnal birds occupying a wide range of dry habitats, research on protozoan haemoparasites is limited and in most cases based on only a few individuals. Here, using the molecular approach, the occurrence and diversity of parasites from four genera (Haemosporida: Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon; Trypanosomatida: Trypanosoma) were investigated in a representative of the family—the Eurasian Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus). Birds were sampled at a breeding location in south-eastern Poland at the beginning of the breeding season. Overall, 20 individuals, including 17 males and 3 females, were screened. Only 10% of birds were infected and in total, two parasite lineages—both representing Plasmodium genus—were identified. Detected parasite lineages were previously registered in a wide range of avian hosts. Known transmission areas of these lineages indicate that breeding populations of Eurasian Nightjars from south-eastern Poland contract infections on non-breeding grounds. This study reinforces earlier observations of the low prevalence of haemosporidians and trypanosomes in caprimulgids.