Endoparasites in birds of guaribas biological reserve, Atlantic Forest, Paraíba State, Brazil

Abstract

This paper describes the findings on endoparasites in Atlantic forest birds at Guaribas Biological Reserve, Paraíba State, Northeast of Brazil. We captured 151 birds with mist nets in ten field expeditions between July 2010 and June 2011 and studied bird endoparasites through blood and excreta samples. Blood samples were collected from 131 birds and excreta were collected from 48 birds. In blood smears, only Haemoproteus columbae was detected in three Columbiformes (2.29%) of the species Columbina talpacoti. Fecal samples were collected from 48 birds, and eggs of nematodes and oocysts of coccidian were detected in 6.25% of the samples: Spirurida (Nematoda) in Lanio cristatus (Thraupidae); Strongyloides sp. (Nematoda) in Momotus momota (Momotidae) and Isospora sp. (Protozoa, Eimeriidae) in Neopelma pallescens (Pipridae). There is limited information about the parasites of wild birds in the remaining fragments of Atlantic forest in Northeast of Brazil; however, such knowledge can help understanding these host-parasite interactions.