Helminth Community Structure of Tits and (Paridae) during Their Autumn Migration on the Southern Baltic Coast.

The research problem undertaken in this study is to determine the scale of infection of Eurasian blue tit and Great tit and the biological diversity of their internal parasites, helminths. The aim of the study is to gain new knowledge about the structure of the helminth communities of the Eurasian blue tit and Great tit on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea during autumn migration to their wintering grounds. Helminths of tits were collected in 2008-2012 on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in Poland.

The impact of global climate change on the spread of parasitic nematodes.

Climate changes may influence the frequency, intensity and geographical distribution of parasites, directly affecting their dispersive stages in the environment (eggs, larvae) and, indirectly, the larvae living mainly in invertebrate intermediate hosts. In biologically diverse nematodes climate warming contributes to the increase in the range of distribution, colonization of new hosts and modification of their development cycles. This is particularly acute in the Arctic and pertains, for instance, to nematodes Ostertagia gruehneri and Setaria tundra parasitizing reindeer Rangifer tarandus and Umingmakstrongylus pallikuukensis in musk oxen (Ovibos moschatus).

Epizootic situation of mouflon Ovis aries musimon in Lower Silesia on the basis of coproscopic examinations.

Coproscopic examinations of mouflons Ovis aries musimon from four forest districts of Lower Silesia performed in spring and autumn from 2012 to 2014 demonstrated the presence of pulmonary nematodes and intestinal parasites, including coccidia of the genus Eimeria. Prevalence of pulmonary nematodes (mainly Muellerius capillaris) amounted to 69.78%, intestinal nematodes--56.

Helminths in migrating and wintering birds recorded in Poland.

Among 544 species of helminths recorded in birds on the territory of Poland, probably some (17 species of Digenea, 21 Cestoda, 13 Nematoda and 5 Acanthocephala) do not belong to the native fauna. These are helminths obtained in mature stage from birds shortly after their arrival from wintering grounds, or from foreign populations wintering with us, or being in the course of spring or autumn migration through the area of our country. In general, these helminth species have been recorded sporadically in the examined birds.

New records of nematodes of passerine migratory birds.

Parasitological examination of three passerine bird species: the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus and Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava, revealed the presence of the nematodes Acuaria subula, Diplotriaena ozouxi, Viguiera euryoptera and Microtetrameres inermis. All the birds were obtained in the spring (April-May); the nematodes found were mature, which indicates infection in the hosts' wintering grounds. The gizzard worm Acuaria subula is a new record from Motacilla flava in Europe.