GASTROINTESTINAL HELMINTOFAUNA IN PREY BIRDS IN THE STATE OF PARÁ
nematodes; trematodes; acanthocephalans; Eastern Amazon.
Brazil has the largest number of animal species on the planet, housing between 10% to 20% of the species known worldwide. Considering avifauna, 1,919 species are reported, of which 91 are birds of prey. Digestive tract parasites are frequently detected in these birds, however, despite this, the knowledge of helminth fauna in birds of prey in Brazil is still incipient. In the last three decades, few works have been published on the subject in Brazilian territory and when considering the State of Pará, scientific production is even smaller. Therefore, the aim of this work is to investigate the gastrointestinal helminth fauna of birds of prey that occur in the state of Pará, Brazil. Thirty-four carcasses of fourteen species were used: 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 carcasses. The gastrointestinal helminth fauna in the researched animals 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; 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. The results of this research reinforce the need for further research in the field of parasitology of birds of prey in Brazil and in the State of Pará.