Noninvasive Methods Unveil the Trophic Transmission of the Tapeworm in Gull-Billed Terns.

Recent developments in microscopic and molecular tools have allowed the implementation of new approaches for assessing parasitic infections in wildlife populations. This is particularly important for the noninvasive detection and quantification of endoparasites in live animals. Here, we combined copromicroscopic (Mini-FLOTAC) and molecular (qPCR) techniques to detect the infection of the macroparasite (Cestoda, Pseudophyllidea) in fresh droppings of Gull-billed Terns (Charadriiformes, Laridae) breeding in southwestern Spain.