Species Diversity of Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) on Migrating Birds on the Baltic Sea Coast of Poland

A collection of ticks found on migrating birds from the Baltic Sea coast in Poland was examined. Birds were captured under the ornithological project entitled ”Operation Baltic” and examined to detect the presence of ticks. Research programs were conducted separately in the spring and autumn migrations of 1981. In the spring, 588 tick specimens were detected on 245 of 2483 specimens of birds, while in the autumn, 899 tick specimens were found on 257 of 1467 birds that were examined. Four tick species were identified from the spring collection: Ixodes arboricola, I. frontalis, I. ricinus, and I. eldaricus, with a dominant role played by I. ricinus. In the autumn I. ricinus was the only species recorded. The vast majority of collected specimens were poorly fed young larvae and nymphs.