Abwesenheit von Haematozoa bei einer Brutpopulation des SeeregenpfeifersCharadrius alexandrinus in Nordspanien

A low presence of haematophagus parasites has been reported in arctic waders. Three hypotheses try to explain these low levels: higher inherent resistance to parasites in the Charadrii, lower presence of parasites in the breeding grounds of waders in the arctic, and influence of the vegetation structure in the habitat of these birds. To test these hypotheses, we took blood samples from 87 alive-trapped Kentish PloversCharadrius alexandrinus nesting in Northeast Spain. None of the samples had haematophagus parasites. Therefore, very low infection rates occur also in a non-arctic species. These data support the hypotheses that Charadrii have a higher resistance or a lower probability of being infected by blood parasites than other taxa, independently of their breeding distribution.