Unraveling the Diversity of Haemosporidians in Brazilian Non-Passerine Birds: Insights from Midwestern Brazil.

Abstract

Avian haemosporidians have been widely studied because they provide important insights into parasite distribution and diversity. However, most available data come from passerines, resulting in gaps regarding other bird groups, primarily due to the difficulty of sampling non-passerines in natural environments. Thus, we aimed to detect infections caused byspp. andspp. through molecular and morphological analyses of blood samples from non-passerine birds in Midwestern Brazil. We evaluated 344 individuals from 60 species across 16 non-passerine orders. Among them, 18.89% (= 65) were infected with haemosporidians. Molecular analyses identified fourspecies:, which was detected in a broad range of host species;, detected in;, found to infect; andin. Additionally, an undescribedlineage was detected in. We also identified four newlineages infecting,,, and. Additionally, the haplotype previously described inwas detected once more in this host. By revealing new lineages and expanding knowledge of parasite biodiversity, this study underscores the importance of non-passerine hosts and the need for further research on their evolutionary and host-parasite relationships.