title: Parasites of Columba livia (Aves: Columbiformes) in Tenerife (Canary Islands) and their role in the conservation biology of the laurel pigeons.
abstract: The prevalence and intensity of the parasites from 50 wild doves (Columba livia) from the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the island of Tenerife (Canary Archipelago), were studied. The following ectoparasites were found in apparently healthy pigeons (prevalences are shown in percentage (%) and mean intensities with their standard deviations): the acari Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer, 1778) (6, 241.0 +/- 138.9) and Tinaminyssus melloi Fain, 1962 (10%, 218.3 +/- 117.3); the louses, Columbicola columbae Linnaeus, 1758 (100%, 111.4 +/- 76.8) and Campanulotes bidentatus Scopoli, 1763 (94%, 48.4 +/- 26.6); and the pigeon fly, Pseudolynchia canariensis Macquart, 1839 (36%, 6.2 +/- 1.6). The endoparasites we found were: a haemoprotozoan species, Haemoproteus columbae Kruze, 1890 (82%, 14.8 +/- 10.3 per 1000); coccidian oocysts, Eimeria sp. (50%, 0.2 x 10(3) +/- 1.7 x 10(3) per gr); a cestode species Raillietina micracantha (Fuhrmann, 1909) López Neyra, 1947 (44%, 12.3 +/- 9.4); and four nematode species, Tetrameres (Tetrameres) fissispina (Diesing, 1861) Travassos, 1915 (4%, 99.5 +/- 34.1), Synhimantus (Dispharynx) spiralis (Molin, 1858) (8%, 46.8 +/- 11.6), Ascaridia columbae (Gmelin, 1790) Travassos, 1913 (40%, 8.4 +/- 8.8) and Aonchotheca sp. (18%, 6.0 +/- 3.1). Several species detected in our study can be pathogens for C. bollii and C. junoniae, which are endemic pigeons of the Canary Islands, considered endangered species. Parasites (ectoparasites, protozoa and helminths) of C. livia found in Tenerife and others from wild and farm birds in the island were considered as healthy controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Ecology and Genetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n, 38203, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. pforonda@ull.es
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Foronda
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valladares
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rivera-Medina
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Figueruelo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Casanova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D001266:Atlantic Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D010856:Columbidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D015995:Prevalence