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1 October 2015 The Parasite Fauna of the Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) in Iceland
Nanna D. Christensen, Karl Skirnisson, Ólafur K. Nielsen
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Abstract

We examined 46 Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) carcasses from Iceland for parasites, including 29 first-year birds and 17 second-year birds and older. Endoparasites observed were the trematodes Cryptocotyle lingua (prevalence 8%), Cryptocotyle concavum (4%), and Strigea sp. (8%); the cestode Mesocestoides sp. (27%); and the nematodes Eucoleus contortus (76%) and Serratospiculum guttatum (7%). Ectoparasites included the astigmatan mite Dubininia accipitrina (47%), a mesostigmatan rhynonyssid mite (4%), the tick Ixodes caledonicus (20%), the mallophagans Degeeriella rufa (90%) and Nosopon lucidum (7%), the flea Ceratophyllus vagabundus (7%), and the louse fly Ornithomya chloropus (7%). Cryptocotyle lingua, C. concavum, S. guttatum, D. accipitrina, I. caledonicus, and N. lucidum are new host records. Of the five most common parasites (prevalence ≥20%) only Mesocestoides sp. showed a significant age relationship, being more prevalent in adult falcons (P = 0.021). Eucoleus contortus was also more prevalent in adults with marginal statistical significance (P = 0.058). Frounce, caused by E. contortus (possibly also by Trichomonas gallinae, which was not searched for in the survey) was highly prevalent (43%), but did not show a relationship with host age (P = 0.210). Birds with frounce were in poorer body condition than healthy birds (P = 0.015).

© Wildlife Disease Association 2015
Nanna D. Christensen, Karl Skirnisson, and Ólafur K. Nielsen "The Parasite Fauna of the Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) in Iceland," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 51(4), 929-933, (1 October 2015). https://doi.org/10.7589/2015-01-022
Received: 27 January 2015; Accepted: 1 June 2015; Published: 1 October 2015
KEYWORDS
body condition
ectoparasites
endoparasites
Eucoleus contortus
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