Gastrointestinal parasites in red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) hunted in Spain: a warning to game managers

Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) populations are currently declining in the Iberian Peninsula, mainly due to habitat degradation and hunting pressure. In addition, the release of farm-reared partridges may introduce pathogens, including parasites, to wild populations. The presence of digestive parasites in red-legged partridges hunted in fifteen Spanish provinces was studied. Fecal samples and gastrointestinal tracts were collected, analyzed, and the morphometric identification of parasites was carried out. Eimeria spp. oocysts, nematode, cestode and trematode eggs were observed in fecal samples. Adult nematodes (Ascaridia galli, Ascaridia compar, Heterakis gallinarum, Heterakis tenuicauda, Trichostrongylus tenuis, Subulura spp., Cyrnea spp. and Aonchotheca caudinflata), tapeworms (Raillietina tetragona, R. echinobothrida, R. micracantha, Rhabdometra nigropunctata, and Choanotaenia infundibulum), and trematodes (Brachylaima spp., Brachylecithum spp., Dicrocoelium spp.) were identified in the gastrointestinal tracts. Significant statistical differences were found among climatic regions in the prevalence and intensity of Eimeria spp. infection, median intensity and the prevalence of indirect life cycle helminths, with Southern areas always showing higher infection values. The study provides information of the health status of red-legged partridges in Spain, highlighting the risk associated with the release of farm-reared partridges for restocking purposes. This should be taken into account to improve management strategies for the long-term conservation of the species.