Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sanitary risks of red-legged partridge releases: introduction of parasites

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Wildlife Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We studied the helminth community and body condition of 99 hunter-harvested red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) from Ciudad Real (Central Spain). Forty-six were sampled in two game estates where an important number of farm-reared red-legged partridges are released yearly. The remaining 53 were obtained from natural wild populations adjacent to one of the estates with releases. Four nematode species (Heterakis gallinarum, Aonchoteca caudinflata, Eucoleus contortus and Cheilospirura gruveli) and two cestode species (Raillietina (R.) tetragona and Skryabinia bolivari) were identified. The managed areas showed higher parasite diversity, with higher prevalences and intensities for all helminths found. Three of these species were typical of farm-bred partridges and two of these, A. caundinflata and S. bolivari, were found parasitizing adult partridges. This suggests introduction of these helminths into the breeding population of managed states. The birds sampled in the nonmanaged estates showed a better body condition, but no relation with parasite infection was found. Our results suggest that the release of farm-reared red-legged partridges, a strategy that is becoming a common practice in Spanish hunting areas, poses risk to wild populations because of introducing parasites. However, these results also suggest that simply stopping releases may be a good way to remove locally those parasites from populations, as the establishment of the introduced parasites seems limited.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aebischer NJ, Potts GR (1994) Red-legged partridge. In: Tucker GM, Heath MF (eds) Birds in Europe: their conservation status. Birdlife Conservation Series no. 3. Birdlife International, Cambridge, UK

  • Andersson S (1992) Female preference for long tails in lekking Jackson’s widowbirds: experimental evidence. Anim Behav 43:379–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernabeu RL (2000) Evaluación económica de la caza en Castilla-La Mancha. Ph.D. thesis. Castilla-La Mancha University, Spain

  • Birkan M (1977) Analyse des tableaux de chasse de perdrix. Courbes d eclosion, structure et dynamique des populations, plan de chasse. In: Pesson P, Birkan M (eds) Ecologie du petit gibier et aménagement des chasses. Gauthier Villars, Paris, pp 55–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvete C, Estrada R, Lucientes J, Estrada A, Telletxeta I (2003) Correlates of Helminth community in the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) in Spain. Parasitology 89(3):445–451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Capelo M, Castro Pereira D (1996) Sobrevivência e dispersão de perdizes (Alectoris rufa L.) largadas em duas operações de repovoamento cinegético. Rev Florest 9:245–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho-Varela M, Ferradeira C (1997) Parasitas e paraitoses da perdiz-vermelha (Alectoris rufa) na Peninsula Ibérica. Algunas consideraçoes sobre a clinica parasitaria da sua criaçaoem cativeiro. Colección de Monográficas, Junta Extremadura, Cáceres, España. I Congreso Internacional de Medio Ambiente y Veterinaria

  • Cole RA (1999) Trichomoniasis. In: Fried M, Frason JC (eds) Field manual of wildlife diseases. US Department of Interior, National Geological Survey, Denver, CO, pp 201–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Cordero del Campillo M, Rojo FA (1999) Parasitología veterinaria. McGraw-Hill, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Draycott RAH, Sage RB (2005) Parasite control and breeding success in pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). In: Pohlmeyer K (ed) Extended abstracts of the XXVIIth Congress of the International Union of Game Biologists, Hannover. DSV, Hamburg, Germany, pp 76–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Duarte J, Vargas JM (2004) Field interbreeding of released Farm-reared red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) with wild ones. Game Wildl Sci 21:55–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Giver H, de Vlas SJ, Johansen MV, Christensen NO, Nansen P (2000) Schistosoma japonicum. : day to day variation in excretion and hatchability of parasite eggs in the domestic pig Suis suis. Exp Parasitol 95:8–18

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gortázar C, Villafuerte R, Martín M (2000) Success of traditional restocking of red-legged partridge for hunting purposes in areas of low density of northeast Spain Aragón. Z Jagdwiss 46:23–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gortázar C, Villafuerte R, Escudero MA, Marco J (2002) Post-breeding densities of the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) in agrosystems: a large scale study in Aragón, Northeastern Spain. Z Jagdwiss 48:94–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Höfle U, Gortazar C, Ortíz JA, Knispel B (2004) Outbreak of trichomoniasis in a woodpigeon wintering roost. Eur J Wildl Res 50:73–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumba FF, Katjivena H, Kauta G, Lutaaya E (2003) Seasonal evolution of faecal egg output by gastrointestinal worms in goats on communal farms in eastern Namibia. Onderstepoort J Vet Res 70(4):265–271

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • López-Neyra CR (1947) Helmintos de los vertebrados ibéricos. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Patronato “Santiago Ramón y Cajal”, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología, Granada, Spain

  • Melhorn H, Düwell D, Raether W (1992) Atlas de parasitología veterinaria. GRASS ediciones, Spain

    Google Scholar 

  • Millan J, Gortazar C, Martin-Mateo MP, Villafuerte R (2004a) Comparative survey of the ectoparasite fauna of wild and farm-reared red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa), with an ecological study in wild populations. Parasitol Res 93(1):605–611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millán J, Gortázar C, Villafuerte R (2004b) A comparison of the helminth faunas of wild and farm-reared red-legged partridges. J Wildl Manage 68(3):701–707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millán J, Gortázar C, Villafuerte R (2004c) Ecology of nematode parasitism in red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) in Spain. Helminthologia 41(1):33–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton I (1998) Population limitation in birds. Academic, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Rodríguez L, Blas J, Viñuela J, Marchant TA, Bortolotti GR (2006) Condition and androgen levels: are condition-dependent and testosterone-mediated traits two sides of the same coin? Anim Behav 72:97–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruíz de MR, Goyena M, Abrigar T, Garijo M, Martínez-Carrasco C, Espeso G, Cano M, Ortiz JM (2004) Periparturient increase in faecal egg counts in a captive population of mohor Gazella (Gazella dama mhorr). Vet Rec 154:49–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Sáenz de Buruaga M, Lucio A, Purroy FJ (2001) Reconocimiento de sexo y edad en especies cinegéticas. Diputación Foral de Alava, Vitoria, Spain

  • Skryabin KI (1991) Key to parasitic nematodes. EJ Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarazona JM, Sanz-Pastor A, de la Cámara R (1979) Helmintos y helmintiosis de la perdiz roja (Alectoris rufa). An Inst Nac Invest Agrar 4:55–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Tompkins DM, Greenman JV, Hudson PJ (2001) Differential impact of shared nematode parasite on two gamebird host: implications for apparent competition. Parasitology 122:187–193

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vicente J, Fierro Y, Gortázar C (2005) Seasonal dynamics of the fecal excretion of Elaphostrongylus cervi (Nematoda, Metastrongyloidea) first-stage larvae in Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) from southern Spain. Parasitol Res 95(1):60–64

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Viggers KL, Lindenmayer DB, Spratt DM (1993) The importance of disease in reintroduction programmes. Wildl Res 20:687–698

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villanúa D, Acevedo P, Höfle U, Rodríguez O, Gortazar C (2006a) Changes in parasite transmission stage excretion after pheasant release. J Helminthol 80(3):313–318

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Villanúa D, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Gortázar C, Höfle U, Viñuela J (2006b) Avoiding bias in parasite excretion estimates: the effect of sampling time and type of faeces. Parasitology 133:251–259

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Villanúa D, Casas F, Viñuela J, Gortázar C, García de la Morena EL, Morales MB (2007a) First occurence of Eucoleus contortus in a little bustard Tetrax tetrax. A negative effect of red-legged partridge Alectoris rufa releases on steppe bird conservation? Ibis 149:405–406, DOI 10.1111/j.1474-919x.2006.00620.x

  • Villanúa D, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Rodríguez O, Viñuela J, Gortazar C (2007b) How effective is pre-release nematode control in farm reared red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa)? J Helmithol 81(1):101–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodburn M, Sage RB, Carroll JP (2002) The efficacy of a technique to control parasitic worm burden in pheasants (Phaisanus colchicus) in the wild. Z Jagdwiss 48:364–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank S. J. Luna, E. Biescas, M.P. Martín, and E. Chico for their assistance in the field and P. Talavera for help in the laboratory. This is a contribution to the joint project CSIC/Principado de Asturias and to CYCIT projects MCYT-REN200307851/GLO and CGL2004-02568/BOS. Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez had a FPU grant from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia and Fabián Casas from Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo, s/n., E-13071, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Diego Villanúa, Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez, Fabián Casas, Vanesa Alzaga, Pelayo Acevedo, Javier Viñuela & Christian Gortázar

  2. Gestión Ambiental Viveros y Repoblaciones de Navarra, C/Padre Adoain, 219 bajo, E- 31015, Pamplona, Spain

    Diego Villanúa

Authors
  1. Diego Villanúa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fabián Casas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vanesa Alzaga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Pelayo Acevedo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Javier Viñuela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Christian Gortázar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Gortázar.

Additional information

Communicated by W. Lutz

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Villanúa, D., Pérez-Rodríguez, L., Casas, F. et al. Sanitary risks of red-legged partridge releases: introduction of parasites. Eur J Wildl Res 54, 199–204 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-007-0130-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-007-0130-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation