Haematozoa of British birds

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Abstract
Sixty-two (13.2%) birds of 18 spp. from Hertfordshire, England harbored one or more parasites, the most common being Leucocytozoon and hemogregarines (45.1% and 41.9%, respectively). The following parasites were identified: Leucocytozoon dubreuili in Turdus merula, L. fringillinarium in Fringilla coelebs, L. majoris in Parus major and P. caeruleus, Haemoproteus fallisi in T. merula, H. orizivorae in Sylvia atricapilla, H. palumbis in Columba palumbus, and H. tinnunculus in Falco subbuteo. Lankesterella was observed in F. coelebs, Parus ater, Prunella modularis, Erithacus rubecula, Certhia familiaris and Passer montanus; all the remaining hemogregarines were of the Hepatozoon type. One Phylloscopus trochilis was infected with a Plasmodium sp. Trypanosomes were seen in 2 Pyrrhula pyrrhula, and Rickettsia in a Regulus regulus and T. merula. Mixed infections occurred in five birds: L. dubreuili and Rickettsia in 1 T. merula, and L. majorus and hemogregarines in 4 P. caeruleus. The overall infection rate was 13.2% higher than that observed previously (2.6%) by Bennett et al. (1974).