Helmintofauna gastrointestinal em aves de rapina no Estado do Pará.

Abstract

Parasites of digestive tract are frequently detected in these birds, but the knowledge of helminthofauna in birds of prey in Brazil is still incipient. Therefore the objective of this work is to investigate the gastrointestinal helminthofauna of birds of prey that occur in the State of Pará, Brazil. 33 carcasses and helminths regurgitated by one individual were used, totaling 34 individuals of 14 species: Megascops choliba (n = 10), Rupornis magnirostris (n = 8), Tyto furcata (n = 5), Megascops usta (n = 1), Athene cunicularia (n = 1), Ibycter americanus (n =1), Asio clamator (n = 1), Geranoaetus albicaudatus (n = 1), Caracara plancus (n = 1), Gampsonyx swainsonii (n = 1), Buteogallus schistaceus (n = 1), Micrastur ruficollis (n = 1), Falco rufigularis (n = 1) and Elanoides forficatus (n = 1). There was 73.5% (n = 20) of parasitism in the analyzed specimens. The gastrointestinal helminthofauna presented a great richness of species, totaling 12 taxa: the nematodes Porrocaecum angusticolle in C. plancus, Subulura forcipata and Dispharynx sp. in M. choliba, Microtetrameres sp. in R. magnirostris and Procyrnea sp. in B. schistaceus; the trematodes Platynosomum illiciens in M. choliba, T. furcata and G. swainsonii, Athesmia sp. in G. albicaudatus and Strigea sp. in R. magnirostris; and the acanthocephalans Centrorhynchus kuntzi in R. magnirostris, Centrorhynchus millerae in E. furficatus, Centrorhynchus guira and Centrorhynchus sp. in M. choliba. No cestodes were found. The carcasses of M. usta, A. clamator, A. cunicularia, I. americanus, M. ruficollis and F. rufigularis did not show gastrointestinal helminths. C. guira and P. angusticolle represent new occurrences in the Brazilian territory and in the State of Pará, extending their geographic reach. New hosts are considered: M. choliba for C. guira and S. forcipata; E. forficatus for C. millerae; B. schistaceus for Procyrnea sp.; C. plancus for P. angusticolle; G. albicaudatus for Athesmia sp .; and M. choliba and G. swainsonii for P. illiciens. These results reinforce the need to expand research in the field of birds of prey parasitology in Brazil and, particularly, in the State of Pará.