Abstract
Comparative studies of parasites in sympatric bird species have been generally scarce. Parasitic infection/transmission can be spread in a number of ways that suggests possible direct and indirect, horizontal transmission between avian hosts. In order to determine whether two sympatric icterids from Central and Southern Chile share their parasite fauna (ecto- and endoparasites), we examined parasites of 27 Shiny Cowbirds, Molothrus bonariensis, and 28 Austral Blackbirds, Curaeus curaeus, including individuals captured in the wild and carcasses. We found that Shiny Cowbirds were infected with the chewing lice Brueelia bonariensis, Philopterus sp. 1, the feather mites Amerodectes molothrus, Proctophyllodes spp. (species 1 and 2), and the helminths Mediorhynchus papillosus, Plagiorhynchus sp., Dispharynx nasuta and Tetrameres paucispina, while Austral Blackbirds had the chewing lice Myrsidea sp., Philopterus sp. 2, the feather mites Proctophyllodes sp. 3, Amerodectes sp., and three helminths: Anonchotaenia sp., Capillaria sp. and M. papillosus. The flea Dasypsyllus (Neornipsyllus) cteniopus was found only on the Austral Blackbird. The only parasite species shared by both icterids was the acanthocephalan M. papillosus, possibly due to their feeding on the same intermediate insect hosts. With the exception of B. bonariensis and Philopterus sp. 1 found on the Shiny Cowbird, all species reported in this study represent new parasite-host associations and new records of parasite diversity in Chile.
Highlights
Parasitism is ubiquitous in nature and recent advances have revealed important details of some host‐parasite associations (e.g. Doña et al, 2019), we are still far from understanding in depth key points of host‐parasite dynamics
The Shiny Cowbird and Austral Blackbird are largely distributed in South America and Patagonia, respectively, they are sympatric only in Chile, where they share a large part of their distribution range and are often observed in mixed flocks foraging together (Fraga, 2011; Couve et al, 2016)
We examined the external and gastrointestinal parasites of sympatric Shiny Cowbirds and Austral Blackbirds in Chile, with the aim to determine whether sharing environment and diet could influence interspecific parasite transmission between these hosts
Summary
Parasitism is ubiquitous in nature and recent advances have revealed important details of some host‐parasite associations (e.g. Doña et al, 2019), we are still far from understanding in depth key points of host‐parasite dynamics. To date, the few studies of parasites of Shiny Cowbirds and Austral Blackbirds were centered We examined the external and gastrointestinal parasites of sympatric Shiny Cowbirds and Austral Blackbirds in Chile, with the aim to determine whether sharing environment and diet could influence interspecific parasite transmission between these hosts.
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Schedule a callMore From: Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria
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