A total of 266 wild passerine birds (Passeriformes) representing eight species and nine subspecies from three islands of the Archipelago of the Azores were examined for ectoparasites. Two species of louse-flies Ornithomya avicularia and Ornithoica turdi (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), three species of fleas Ceratophyllus gallinae, Ceratophyllus sp. and Dasypsyllus gallinulae (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae), and 11 species of chewing lice belonging to the genera Menacanthus, Myrsidea (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae), Ricinus (Phthiraptera: Ricinidae), Brueelia, Guimaraesiella, Philopterus, Sturnidoecus and Turdinirmus (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) were recorded. At least one species of ectoparasite was found on 114 birds of six species. Guimaraesiella tovornikae and Myrsidea sylviae from Sylvia atricapilla are redescribed. Records of Ceratophyllus sp. and Sturnidoecus sp. from Turdus merula represent new parasite-host associations. Phoresy of Guimaraesiella amsel on Ornithoica turdi was also found. Parasitological parameters such as prevalence, intensity and abundance and geographic distribution of recorded ectoparasites are provided.

• MeSH
• Diptera physiology   MeSH
• Insecta * physiology   MeSH
• Ectoparasitic Infestations * parasitology   MeSH
• Bird Diseases * epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Passeriformes * parasitology   MeSH
• Phthiraptera physiology   MeSH
• Siphonaptera physiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Azores MeSH

Focusing upon chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) parasitizing blackcaps ( Sylvia atricapilla ) in the Azores (Portugal), we found a lower number of louse species in the Azores compared to mainland Europe. Only chewing lice host specific to blackcaps were found in the Azores. Louse prevalences were much higher in blackcaps from the Azores compared to those of various mainland populations. Chewing lice are permanent parasites of birds, and for such parasites the parasite island syndrome could be characterized by higher parasite prevalence on the islands compared to the mainland.

• MeSH
• Amblycera * MeSH
• Ischnocera * MeSH
• Bird Diseases epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Islands epidemiology   MeSH
• Passeriformes parasitology   MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Syndrome MeSH
• Lice Infestations epidemiology   parasitology   veterinary   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Azores MeSH
• Czech Republic MeSH
• Islands epidemiology   MeSH

We examined the presence of borreliae and rickettsiae bacteria in ticks from wild passerine birds on three islands of the Archipelago of the Azores, the westernmost region of Palearctic. A total of 266 birds belonging to eight species from seven families were examined on São Miguel, Santa Maria and Graciosa islands in 2013. Ticks collected from these birds consisted of 55 Ixodes frontalis (22 larvae, 32 nymphs, 1 adult female) and 16 Haemaphysalis punctata nymphs. Turdus merula and Erithacus rubecula were the birds most infested with both tick species. Three T. merula in Santa Maria were infested with 4 I. frontalis infected with Borrelia turdi. No rickettsiae were found in the ticks. We report for the first time the presence of I. frontalis and B. turdi on the Azores islands and we showed that the spatial distribution reaches further west than previously thought.

• MeSH
• Borrelia isolation & purification   MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Tick Infestations epidemiology   microbiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Ticks microbiology   MeSH
• Larva MeSH
• Bird Diseases epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Nymph MeSH
• Passeriformes MeSH
• Rickettsia isolation & purification   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Azores MeSH

Ten passerine species were examined on three islands of the Azores (North Atlantic) during 2013 and 2014 in order to identify their feather mite assemblages. We recorded 19 feather mite species belonging to four families of the superfamily Analgoidea (Analgidae, Proctophyllodidae, Psoroptoididae and Trouessartiidae). A high prevalence of feather mite species was recorded on the majority of the examined host species. Only three passerine species (Sylvia atricapilla, Regulus regulus and Serinus canaria) presented the same full complex of mite species as commonly occurs in the plumage of their closest relatives in continental Europe. Passer domesticus presented the same limited fauna of feather mites living in the plumage as do its co-specifics in continental Europe. Carduelis carduelis bears the same feather mite species as do most of its continental populations in Europe, but it lacks one mite species occurring on this host in Egypt. Turdus merula, Pyrrhula murina and Fringilla coelebs are missing several mite species common to their continental relatives. This diminution could be explained by the founder effect, whereby a limited number of colonizing individuals did not transport the full set of feather mite species, or by the extinction of some mite species after initially having reached the Azores. The only individual of Motacilla cinerea sampled in this study presented a new host record for the mite species Trouessartia jedliczkai.

• MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Mite Infestations epidemiology   parasitology   veterinary   MeSH
• Bird Diseases epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Passeriformes parasitology   MeSH
• Feathers parasitology   MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Mites classification   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH
• Geographicals
• Azores MeSH
• Europe MeSH

• MeSH
• Travel MeSH
• Communicable Diseases etiology   immunology   MeSH
• Communicable Disease Control MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Health Services MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Geographicals
• Azores MeSH
• Bahamas MeSH
• Bahrain MeSH
• Bangladesh MeSH