Dr. Murai Éva szerk.: Parasitologia Hungarica 23. (Budapest, 1990)

Parasit, hung. 23. 1990 The ectoparasite fauna of feral pigeon populations in Hungary Dr. Lajos RÓZSA Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Science, Budapest, Hungary "The ectoparasite fauna of feral pigeon populations in Hungary " - Rózsa, L. - Parasit. hung, 23: 115-119. 1990. ABSTRACT. A faunistical study of ectoparasites was carried out in 1988 on two feral pigeon populations in an urban and in a farmland area of Hungary. Samples consisting of 120 birds each were collected in both areas. The data of occurrence of Columbicola columbae columbae, Campanulotes bidentatus compar, Bonomiella columbae, Hohorstiella lata (Mallophaga) and Mesonyssus melloi, Dermanyssus gallinae, Dermoglyphus columbae, Falculifer rostratus, Diplaegidia columbae (Acarina) are described. KEY WORDS: ectoparasite, feral pigeon, Columba livia, Mallophaga, Acarina, Hungary INTRODUCTION The domestic pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica) is one of the very few domestic animal species which has a feral variety widely distributed all over the world. A good knowledge of the pathogenic agents of feral populations is needed to understand the epidemiology of diseases of the domestic stocks. The aim of this study was to identify the ectoparasite fauna of feral pigeons in Hungary. Similar faunistical studies have been carried out e.g. in Egypt (SELIM et al. 1968), in Czechoslovakia (CERNY 1970) in the USA (BROWN 1971) and in Yugoslavia (KULISIC 1988). MATERIALS AND METHODS Two sample areas were chosen in order to represent different environments maintaining different biological communities. One of them was an urban area in the inner city of Budapest, and the other was a scarcely inhabited farmland area near Kerekegyháza, in Hungary.