First record of Lyperosomum longicauda Rudolphi,1809 (Trematoda:Dicrocoeliidae) in Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) in Turkey

Abstract

The Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita), a migratory species, is a globally threatened species listed as critically endangered at a global scale since 1994. The Turkish Republic established Bald Ibis Breeding Station in Şanli{dotless}urfa Birecik in 1977. Recent status of the colony can be defined as "semi-wild". Seventeen Northern Bald Ibis, which were hatched in Turkey and not transmigrated, died for different reasons in Birecik, Turkey. They were sent to Ankara University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology for the parasitological examination. Two of them have Lyperosomum longicauda which is a parasitic trematoda belonging to the family Dicrocoeliidae that is located in bill-ducts and gall-bladder of birds. From the review of the current database, it was detected that this is the first parasite report from Northern Bald Ibis in the world and L. longicauda is in Turkey. Some morphological features, measures and photographs of this trematoda are given within this report.