Chewing Lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) of the Common Buzzards (Buteo buteo) in Romania: Host Age and Habitat Jointly Determine Lice Infestation
Călin Mircea Gherman, Gianluca D’Amico, Katarzyna Anna Hołówka, Florinel Gheorghe Brudaşcă, Petru Burduhos, Alexandru Bulacu, Dan-Traian Ionescu, Sándor Hornok, Attila D. Sándor

TL;DR
This study found that the lice infesting common buzzards in Romania are more influenced by the birds' age, habitat, and climate than by their sex.
Contribution
The study identifies specific lice species infesting common buzzards and reveals how host age, habitat, and climate jointly influence infestation patterns.
Findings
Five chewing lice species were identified, with Degeeriella fulva being the most prevalent.
Host age and environmental factors like temperature and humidity significantly affect lice infestation intensity.
Lice populations showed female-biased sex ratios and varying demographic trends across species.
Abstract
(1) Background: The common buzzard (Buteo buteo) is the most widespread raptor in Romania. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of chewing louse species and the factors influencing the epidemiology of louse infestation in the national bird populations. (2) Methods: Between 2012 and 2025, a total of 131 buzzards were collected from all over Romania, which were either roadkilled or died due to health issues. These birds were parasitologically examined, the gathered lice were identified, and epidemiological parameters were determined. (3) Results: The overall prevalence of louse infestation was 77.9%, with 4389 specimens collected. Five species were identified: Degeeriella fulva (55.7%), Craspedorrhynchus platystomus (37.4%), Colpocephalum nanum (42.0%), Colpocephalum turbinatum (7.6%), and Laemobothrion maximum (2.3%). Among the factors influencing the evolution of louse…
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Taxonomy
TopicsBird parasitology and diseases · Coccidia and coccidiosis research · Dermatological diseases and infestations
