Study of the helminth fauna in eagle owl (Bubo bubo) in the south of Spain

Abstract

In this study we show the results of the eagle owls’ (Bubo bubo) helminthfauna found in Andalusia. A total number of 50 specimens have been analysed in a period of 10 years (from 2011 to 2020). Prevalence (P%), mean intensity (IM) and mean abundance (AM) of parasitation have been obtained. The percentage of parasitation in the total sample was 80% (40 out of 50 eagle owls): 78% nematodes, 8% trematodes, 6% cestodes and 4% acantocephalans. 7 species of helminths were identified: 6 nematodes, and 1 trematode. In the case of cestodes and acantocephalans it was not possible to determine species and only the genus was identified.The intestinal nematode Capillaria tenuissima (P% = 58% (44–71.2); IM = 11,52 (5.83–28.9)) was the core species whereas Synhimantus laticeps (P% = 16 (7.5–28.8); IM = 4 (1.75–7.25)) and Hartertia hispanica (P% = 16 (7.5–28.8); IM = 1,5 (1–2)) were the secondary species. The remainder species were considered satellite species, with low prevalence and average abundance. Likewise, descriptive parameters of the helminth community were determined: species richness, 1.56 (1.29–1.94), total abundance, 12 (7.24–26.40), Brillouin's diversity index, 0.18 (0.10–0.29) and Berger-Parker dominance index, 0.88 (0.81–0.93).The data from this study show a non-diverse helminthic community, without species dominance with C. tenuissima as the central species, followed by S. laticeps and H. hispanica as secondary species. Worth mentioning is the presence of H. hispanica, which is considered an endemic species in Spain and specifically in Andalusia.To the authors’ knowledge, this is the largest population sample taken in parasitological studies about helminths of this raptor in Europe and the first one carried out in the south of Spain (Andalusia).

Keywords

• Helminthfauna
• Eagle owl
• Communities
• Parasites