Assessment of helminths in northern bobwhites from a Legacy Landscape

Habitat loss and fragmentation are considered major causes for the long-term northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) decline across much of its range including Texas, USA. However, the influence of proximate factors such as... [ view full abstract ]

Habitat loss and fragmentation are considered major causes for the long-term northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) decline across much of its range including Texas, USA. However, the influence of proximate factors such as parasitism and disease remains unclear. There are few studies of bobwhite parasites in South Texas—a region that was recently designated a Legacy Landscape of National Significance for Northern Bobwhite Conservation. This study was initiated to assess parasites currently infecting northern bobwhites in South Texas and to evaluate intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributing to host-helminth dynamics. One hundred and twenty-four northern bobwhites were examined in South Texas from the 2014–2015 hunting season and 232 are currently being examined from the 2015–2016 hunting season. In the 2014–2015 sample, 4 nematode, 2 acanthocephalan, and 2 cestode species were found. Of these, 3 species are known to be pathogenic to quail and/or other Galliformes (Dispharynx nasuta, Oxyspirura petrowi, and Tetrameres pattersoni), but each of these species occurred infrequently (<4% individual prevalence). The cecal nematode Aulonocephalus pennula dominated numerically (6,651 individuals, 99% of all nematode individuals, averaged 67 worms per infected host, and occurred in 80% of the sample). Host age, sex (their interaction), and body weight did not affect prevalence or intensity of A. pennula. This study provides insight into host and environmental factors influencing helminth infections and enhances our understanding of this host-helminth system within a region of significance for northern bobwhites.