ECTOPARASITES OF AMERICAN KESTRELS: SHOULD FLEAS BE CONSIDERED?

PAULA MAITEN OROZCO VALOR; MIGUEL ANGEL SANTILLÁN; LARESCHI, MARCELA; GRANDE JUAN MANUEL

JOURNAL OF RAPTOR RESEARCH

RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC

Lugar: Lawrence, Kansas; Año: 2019

0892-1016

Raptors are hosts of a wide array of ectoparasites, including different species of arthropods with heterogeneous habits. However, fleas (Siphonaptera), a common hematophagous ectoparasite in other bird groups and mammals, are uncommon in birds of prey. Fleas can have negative effects on their host condition and may play a role as disease transmitters due to their potential as parasite vectors.The American kestrel (Falco sparverius), is a small falcon, widely distributed, from Alaska and Canada to Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Islands. The community of ectoparasites that may infect this species has been widely studied in North America. Several ectoparasites have been also reported in this species in South America. However, no fleas have been documented as kestrel parasites across the species range. Here we present the first record of a flea, Polygenis platensis on American Kestrel and hypothesized a possible way of transmission. Every year since 2011, we marked as many breeding adults and fledgling kestrels as possible in a population breeding in nest boxes in central Argentina. Across the 1641 individuals sampled from 2011 to 2017, we found three fleas identified as Polygenis platensis (Insecta: Siphonaptera: Rhopalopsyllidae, Rhopalopsyllinae). The fleas, one male and two female, were collected from an adult female captured in the winter of 2016 and from two nestlings during the 2017 breeding season. In the three cases we found only one flea per kestrel. This flea is a common host of small rodents including the families? Caviidae, Chinchillidae, Cricetidae. These rodents, are common prey items in the American kestrel diet in our study area. Therefore, it could be plausible that the presence of the flea in the American kestrel was the result of a transfer from prey to the predator. Further studies on the potential impact of this hematophagous flea on birds of prey are needed to determinate if they are actual parasites of this species and not just hitchhikers that use the American Kestrel as a vehicle from one small mammal to the next.