دراسة عن وجود القمل والقراد والحلم على الحمام الصخري (Columba livia)

Abstract

 People buy pigeons from bird sellers in Silah and transport them to their homes for breeding and reproduction. They are infected with parasites, as they are important hosts in the life cycle of external parasites. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of ectoparasites on rock dove (Columba livia) by examining 220 bird in Al-Silah, Sheikh Othman District, Aden Governorate, during the period from January 2020 to February 2021. Using the Williamson method to remove ectoparasites, the study showed the presence of number of ectoparasites such as lice, ticks and mites on those rock dove (Columba livia) that were examined, where a pair of lice Columbicola columbae. Linnaeus 1758 males and females (540 males and 6500 females) belong to the order Phtheraptera. The presence of female lice was more of the males, this helps to spread during mating on the feathers of the wings and tail more than anywhere else on the body, which is where they are located. All rock doves were infected, so their prevalence rate was 100%.

 Also, only one species of tick Argas reflexus Fabricius 1794, belonged to the order Acarina and the family Argasidae on rock dove (Columba livia) on the thigh and chest more than anywhere on the body, 14 adult males, one adult female, 17 nymphs and 752 larvae were collected and preserved in 70% ethanol alcohol. The low number of female ticks is due to the fact that they lay their eggs outside the hosts of rock dove (Columba livia). All rock doves were infected and the prevalence rate was 100%. The female laid eggs inside the bottle and hatched into 198 tick larvae. As well as one male of the mite Apodisyringiana haszprunari Kethley 1970, which belongs to the order Acarina and the family Syringophilidae and the prevalence rate was 0.45%. The number of mites were very low because of his behavior, it leaves the host during the day and climbs up to him at night to feed on blood. This study showed the presence of these external parasites on rock dove, and recommended that the places of breeding rock dove and birds in general must be constantly cleaned and the places of their spread and eliminated because they cause anemia and low productivity of birds in general.