Blood Parasites of Pekin Robins (Liothrix luteus)

SYNOPSIS. The Pekin Robin (Liothrix luteus) is a species of babbler (Timaliidae) native to Southeast Asia. Except for Plasmodium tenue, a malaria parasite of the subgenus Novyella and much like P. vaughani, with which they are very commonly infected, these birds seem remarkably free of blood parasites. Of 152 birds examined, 4 harbored Leucocytozoon; no infections with Haemoproteus, trypanosomes, Atoxoplasma, or microfilariae were observed. Blood inoculation from 50 Pekin Robins into canaries revealed 3 P. relictum infections. Experimental inoculation of Pekin Robins with no evidence of prior malarial infection, with 6 species of Plasmodium, P. cathemerium, P. circumflexum, P. elongatum, P. octamerium, P. paranucleophilum, and P. vaughani, gave negative results; evidently the birds have a very unusual resistance to malaria (other than P. tenue). Their insusceptibility to P. vaughani is additional evidence of the validity of P. tenue as a species.