''Haemoproteus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of alveolates that are parasitic in

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

s, and

amphibian Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

s. Its name is derived from

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''

Proteus In Greek mythology, Proteus ( ; ) is an early prophetic sea god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" (''hálios gérôn''). Some who ascribe a specific domain to Prote ...

'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' was first used in the description of '' H. columbae'' in the blood of the pigeon ''

Columba livia The rock dove (''Columba livia''), also sometimes known as "rock pigeon" or "common pigeon", is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon", although the rock dov ...

'' by

Walther Kruse Walther Kruse (September 8, 1864 – 1943) was a German bacteriologist who was a native of Berlin. In 1888 he received his doctorate from Berlin, where he was a student of Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902). From 1889 until 1892 he worked as a bacterio ...

in 1890. This was also the first description of this genus. Two other genera—'' Halteridium'' and '' Simondia''—are now considered to be synonyms of ''Haemoproteus''. The protozoa are intracellular parasites that infect the

erythrocytes Red blood cells (RBCs), referred to as erythrocytes (, with -''cyte'' translated as 'cell' in modern usage) in academia and medical publishing, also known as red cells, erythroid cells, and rarely haematids, are the most common type of blood cel ...

. They are transmitted by blood sucking insects including

mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...

es, biting midges (''

Culicoides ''Culicoides'' is a genus of biting midges in the family Ceratopogonidae. There are over 1000 species in the genus,Connelly, C. RBiting midges: ''Culicoides'' spp.Featured Creatures, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida IF ...

''), louse flies (''

Hippoboscidae __NOTOC__ Hippoboscidae, the louse flies or keds, are obligate parasites of mammals and birds. In this family, the winged species can fly at least reasonably well, though others with vestigial or no wings are flightless and highly apomorphic. As ...

'') and horse-flies (" tabanids", "tabanid flies"). Infection with this genus is sometimes known as pseudomalaria because of the parasites' similarities with ''

Plasmodium ''Plasmodium'' is a genus of unicellular eukaryotes that are obligate parasites of vertebrates and insects. The life cycles of ''Plasmodium'' species involve development in a Hematophagy, blood-feeding insect host (biology), host which then inj ...

'' species. Within the genus there are at least 173

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, 5

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

and 1

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

. Of these over 140 occur in birds, 16 in reptiles and 3 in amphibia: 14

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

s and 50

families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

of birds are represented. These include gamebirds (''

Galliformes Galliformes is an order (biology), order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkey (bird), turkeys, chickens, Old World quail, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems ...

''), waterfowl (''

Anseriformes Anseriformes is an order (biology), order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest f ...

''), raptors (''

Accipitriformes The Accipitriformes (; ) are an order of birds that includes most of the diurnal birds of prey, including hawks, eagles, vultures, and kites, but not falcons. For a long time, the majority view was to include them with the falcons in the Falc ...

'', ''

Falconiformes The order Falconiformes () is represented by the extant family Falconidae, Falconidae (falcons and caracaras) and a handful of enigmatic Paleogene species. Traditionally, the other bird of prey families New World vulture, Cathartidae (New World v ...

'', '' Strigiformes''), pigeons and doves (''

Columbiformes Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

''), and perching birds or songbirds (''

Passeriformes A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

'').

Taxonomy and systematics

Evolution

The earliest known fossil is of a ''Haemoproteus''-like organism (''

Paleohaemoproteus burmacis ''Paleohaemoproteus'' is an extinct genus of ''Haemoproteus'' like organisms. The type species and only known example is that of an isolate found in the abdominal cavity of a female biting midge trapped 100 million years ago in amber found in My ...

'') was found in the abdominal cavity of a female

biting midge Ceratopogonidae is a family of flies commonly known as no-see-ums, sand flies or biting midges, generally in length. The family includes more than 5,000 species, distributed worldwide, apart from the Antarctic and the Arctic. A 2025 study from ...

trapped 100 million years ago in

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...

found in

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

Taxonomic history

The first description of this genus was in 1890 by Kruse, who described '' H. columbae'' in the blood of the pigeon ''

''. McCallum in 1897 showed that the process of exflagellation was part of

sexual reproduction Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote tha ...

in these parasites and thought it probable that the same process occurred in ''

''. The first record of a haemoproteid parasite in a reptile was by Simond in 1901 who gave it the name '' H. metchnikovi''. The Sergent brothers in 1906 showed that the ectoparasitic fly ''

Pseudolynchia canariensis ''Pseudolynchia canariensis'', the pigeon louse fly or pigeon fly, is a species of biting fly in the family of louse flies, Hippoboscidae. Distribution ''Pseudolynchia canariensis'' are species-specific (Columbidae) obligate ectoparasites potent ...

'' was the

vector Vector most often refers to: * Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction * Disease vector, an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematics a ...

of ''H. columbae''. Aragao in 1908 demonstrated the schizogonic stages of ''H. columbae'' in the

endothelial cell The endothelium (: endothelia) is a single layer of squamous endothelial cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. The endothelium forms an interface between circulating blood or lymph in the lumen and th ...

s of the

lung The lungs are the primary Organ (biology), organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the Vertebral column, backbone on either side of the heart. Their ...

s of

nestling Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight ...

pigeons infected by the bite of infected ''Pseudolynchia''. It was generally believed that transmission of the parasites was by regurgitation during a

blood meal Blood meal is a dry, inert powder made from blood, used as a high-nitrogen organic fertilizer and a high protein animal feed. By weight, it is generally 12% nitrogen with trace amounts (≤1%) of phosphorus and potassium. It is one of the hig ...

until Adie showed that the parasites develop in the

salivary gland The salivary glands in many vertebrates including mammals are exocrine glands that produce saliva through a system of ducts. Humans have three paired major salivary glands ( parotid, submandibular, and sublingual), as well as hundreds of min ...

s in a fashion analogous to that of ''Plasmodium'' in

es. The genus '' Halterium'' was created by the French parasitologist Alphonse Labbe for a species he observed with

gametocyte A gametocyte is a eukaryotic germ cell that divides by mitosis into other gametocytes or by meiosis into gametids during gametogenesis. Male gametocytes are called ''spermatocytes'', and female gametocytes are called ''oocytes''. Development T ...

s in

erythrocyte Red blood cells (RBCs), referred to as erythrocytes (, with -''cyte'' translated as 'cell' in modern usage) in academia and medical publishing, also known as red cells, erythroid cells, and rarely haematids, are the most common type of blood ce ...

s, with pigment granules, and halter-shaped when fully formed. This genus was soon subsumed into the genus ''Haemoproteus''. The genus '' Haemocystidium'' was created to give a name to the haemoproteid of a

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates. They range from . Geckos are unique among lizards ...

belonging to the genus ''

Hemidactylus ''Hemidactylus'' is a genus of the common gecko family, Gekkonidae. It has 194 described species, newfound ones being described every few years. These geckos are found in all the tropical regions of the world, extending into the subtropical parts ...

'' in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

by Castellani and Willey in 1904. A second species in this genus was described in 1909 by Johnston and Cleland who found pigmented gametocytes in the blood of the Australian tortoise ''

Chelodina longicollis The eastern long-necked turtle (''Chelodina longicollis''), also known as the common long-necked turtle and common snake-necked turtle, is an east Australian species of snake-necked turtle that inhabits a wide variety of water bodies and is an ...

''. These species were transferred to ''Haemoproteus'' in 1926 by Wenyon. The genus was resurrected by Garnham in 1966 when he created a new generic name — '' Simondia'' — for the haemoproteids of chelonians. He followed the opinions of Wenyon, Hewitt and DeGiusti and suggested that all these parasites belonged to the one species — '' Simondia metchnikovi''. He retained the name ''Haemocystidium'' for the haemoproteids of

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

s. A different genus of vectors was identified in 1957 by Fallis and Wood when they identified '' H. nettionis'' in '' Culicoides downesi'' Wirth and Hubert in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. Levine and Campbell in 1971 moved all the species in ''Simondia'' and ''Haemocystidium'' into ''Haemoproteus'', an opinion that was followed by subsequent authors. The genus ''Haemocystidium'' was resurrected again by Telford in 1996 when he described three new species of protozoa in geckos from

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. This genus like those of many protozoa may be further modified once additional

DNA sequence A nucleic acid sequence is a succession of bases within the nucleotides forming alleles within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule. This succession is denoted by a series of a set of five different letters that indicate the order of the nu ...

s are available. For instance, many DNA sequences have been identified for ''Haemoproteus'' in birds around the world in recent years, leading to new knowledge about the previously unknown diversity of this parasite in different regions.

Subgenera

The species infecting avian hosts have been divided into two subgenera — ''Haemoproteus'' and ''Parahaemoproteus'' — a division proposed in 1965 by Bennett ''et al.''. These may be distinguished as follows: ': Vectors are hippoboscid flies (''

''). Exflagellation does not occur below 20 degrees Celsius. Mature

oocyst Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organism ...

s have diameters greater than 20 micrometres. The average length of the

sporozoite Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organis ...

s is less than 10 micrometres. One end of the sporozoite is more pointed than the other. Although the majority are parasites of the

, some species from this subgenus have also been reported in the

Charadriiformes Charadriiformes (, from '' Charadrius'', the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water ...

Pelecaniformes The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally (but erroneously) defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such ...

and

Suliformes The order Suliformes (, dubbed "Phalacrocoraciformes" by ''Christidis & Boles 2008'') is an order of birds recognised by the International Ornithological Congress, International Ornithologist's Union. Regarding the recent evidence that the tradit ...

. ': Parasites of birds other than the

. Vectors are biting midges (''

Ceratopogonidae Ceratopogonidae is a family of flies commonly known as no-see-ums, sand flies or biting midges, generally in length. The family includes more than 5,000 species, distributed worldwide, apart from the Antarctic and the Arctic. A 2025 study fro ...

''). Exflagellation occurs below . Mature

s have diameters less than 20 micrometres. The average length of the sporozoites is greater than 10 micrometres. Both ends of the sporozoite are equally pointed. While it was previously thought that ''Haemoproteus'' was limited to doves and related species, species in this genus have been isolated from

frigatebird Frigatebirds are a Family (biology), family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, l ...

Species list

*'' Haemoproteus aegnithidae'' *'' Haemoproteus aegyptius'' *'' Haemoproteus africanus'' *'' Haemoproteus alaudae'' *'' Haemoproteus anatolicum'' *'' Haemoproteus anthi'' *'' Haemoproteus antigonis'' *'' Haemoproteus asturisdussumieri'' *'' Haemoproteus attenatus'' *''

Haemoproteus balearicae ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus balli'' *'' Haemoproteus balmorali'' *'' Haemoproteus bambusicolae'' *'' Haemoproteus bennetti'' *''

Haemoproteus brachiatus ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus beckeri'' *'' Haemoproteus belopolskyi'' *'' Haemoproteus bennetti'' *'' Haemoproteus borgesi'' *'' Haemoproteus brodkorbi'' *'' Haemoproteus bubalornis'' *'' Haemoproteus bucerotis'' *'' Haemoproteus canachites'' *''

Haemoproteus caprimulgi ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *''

Haemoproteus catharti ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus catenatus'' *''

Haemoproteus cellii ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus centropi'' *'' Haemoproteus chelodina'' *'' Haemoproteus coatneyi'' *''

Haemoproteus columbae ''Haemoproteus columbae'' is a species of blood parasite related to ''Plasmodium'' and other malaria parasites. Phylogenetic relationships among the Haemosporidia ''Haemoproteus columbae'' is a true member of the genus ''Haemoproteus'', basal ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus concavocentralis'' *'' Haemoproteus cornuata'' *'' Haemoproteus crumenius'' *'' Haemoproteus cyanomitrae'' *'' Haemoproteus danilewskyi'' *'' Haemoproteus desseri'' *'' Haemoproteus dicaeus'' *'' Haemoproteus dicruri'' *'' Haemoproteus dolniki'' *'' Haemoproteus edomensis'' *'' Haemoproteus elani'' *'' Haemoproteus enucleator'' *'' Haemoproteus forresteri'' *'' Haemoproteus fringillae'' *'' Haemoproteus fusca'' *'' Haemoproteus gabaldoni'' *''

Haemoproteus garnhami ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus geochelonis'' *'' Haemoproteus greineri'' *'' Haemoproteus goodmani'' *'' Haemoproteus halcyonis'' *'' Haemoproteus handai'' *''

Haemoproteus hirundinis ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

Haemoproteus metchnikovi ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Ancient Greek, Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name '' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus micronuclearis'' *'' Haemoproteus minutus'' *'' Haemoproteus motacillae'' *'' Haemoproteus multipigmentatus'' *'' Haemoproteus multivolutinus'' *'' Haemoproteus nebraskensis'' *'' Haemoproteus nettionis'' *'' Haemoproteus nisi'' *'' Haemoproteus noctuae'' *'' Haemoproteus nucleofascialis'' *'' Haemoproteus nucleophilus'' *'' Haemoproteus oedurae'' *'' Haemoproteus orioli'' *''

Haemoproteus oryzivora ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

Haemoproteus rupicola ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus sacharovi'' *'' Haemoproteus sanguinus'' *'' Haemoproteus sanîosdiasï'' *'' Haemoproteus sauianae'' *'' Haemoproteus sequeirae'' *'' Haemoproteus serini'' *'' Haemoproteus silvaï'' *'' Haemoproteus sturni'' *'' Haemoproteus sylvae'' *''

Haemoproteus syrnii ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Ancient Greek, Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name '' ...

'' *''

Haemoproteus tarentolae ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus tartakovskyi'' *'' Haemoproteus telfordi'' *'' Haemoproteus tendeiroi'' *''

Haemoproteus tinnunculi ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus thraupi'' *'' Haemoproteus trionyxi'' *'' Haemoproteus turtur'' *'' Haemoproteus uraeginthus'' *'' Haemoproteus vacuolatus'' *'' Haemoproteus valkiūnasi'' *'' Haemoproteus vangii'' *''

Haemoproteus velans ''Haemoproteus'' is a genus of alveolates that are parasitic in birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Its name is derived from Greek: ''haima'' 'blood' and ''Proteus'', a sea god that had the power to assume various shapes. The name ''Haemoproteus'' ...

'' *'' Haemoproteus vireonis'' *'' Haemoproteus wenyoni'' *'' Haemoproteus witti'' *'' Haemoproteus xantholemae'' *'' Haemoproteus zosteropsis''

Life cycle

Haemoproteus ilanpapernai parasite130095-fig1

The infective stage is the

which is present in the

s of the vector. Once the vector bites a new host, the sporozoites enter the blood stream and invade

s of

blood vessel Blood vessels are the tubular structures of a circulatory system that transport blood throughout many Animal, animals’ bodies. Blood vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to most of the Tissue (biology), tissues of a Body (bi ...

s within various tissues including those of the

liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

and

spleen The spleen (, from Ancient Greek '' σπλήν'', splḗn) is an organ (biology), organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The spleen plays important roles in reg ...

. Within the

s, the sporozoites undergo

asexual reproduction Asexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that does not involve the fusion of gametes or change in the number of chromosomes. The offspring that arise by asexual reproduction from either unicellular or multicellular organisms inherit the f ...

becoming

schizont Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organism ...

s. These in turn produce numerous merozoites which penetrate the

s and mature into either female gametocytes ( macrogametocytes) or male gametocytes ( microgametocytes).

Gametocyte A gametocyte is a eukaryotic germ cell that divides by mitosis into other gametocytes or by meiosis into gametids during gametogenesis. Male gametocytes are called ''spermatocytes'', and female gametocytes are called ''oocytes''. Development T ...

s can then be ingested by another blood-sucking insect where they undergo

in the

midgut The midgut is the portion of the human embryo from which almost all of the small intestine and approximately half of the large intestine develop. After it bends around the superior mesenteric artery, it is called the "midgut loop". It comprises ...

of the insect to produce

s. The oocysts rupture and release numerous sporozoites that invade the salivary gland and serve as a focus of subsequent infection for another host once the insect takes its next blood meal.

Description

Only gametocytes are found in the

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is com ...

. Asexual reproduction occurs in body organs, especially the

. The organisms occupy the majority of the

cytoplasm The cytoplasm describes all the material within a eukaryotic or prokaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, including the organelles and excluding the nucleus in eukaryotic cells. The material inside the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell a ...

, leaving the light magenta, finely granular, pink

nucleus Nucleus (: nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to: *Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom *Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA Nucleu ...

centrally located. Taxonomy of this genus is difficult as there are few distinct morphological differences between the recognised species. Many of them were described under the 'one species-one host' hypothesis which is now thought to be potentially misleading. The morphological features most commonly used to describe a species include the number of pigment granules, the degree of encirclement of the host nucleus, the size of the parasite, the degree of host nucleus displacement and the degree of host cell enlargement. DNA studies should help to clarify this area but to date have rarely been undertaken. The gametocytes have five basic forms: *thin gametocytes with incomplete margins ('' H. balearicae'', '' H. pelouri'') *halterial gametocytes ('' H. maccullumi'') *thick sausage shaped gametocytes that fill most of the host cell and displace the host nucleus laterally ('' H. halyconis'', '' H. plataleae'') *gametocytes that encircle the host nucleus and fill the host cell ('' H. telfordi'') *straight gametocytes that normally occur in anucleate cells and are almost as long as the host cell ('' H. enucleator'')

Diagnostic criteria

s are only present within

s * Gametocytes have a "halter-shaped" appearance with little displacement of the host

Schizont Apicomplexans, a group of intracellular parasites, have life cycle stages that allow them to survive the wide variety of environments they are exposed to during their complex life cycle. Each stage in the life cycle of an apicomplexan organism ...

s are not seen on peripheral

blood smear A blood smear, peripheral blood smear or blood film is a thin layer of blood smeared on a glass microscope slide and then stained in such a way as to allow the various blood cells to be examined microscopically. Blood smears are examined in the i ...

s * Multiple pigment granules (

hemozoin Haemozoin is a disposal product formed from the digestion of blood by some blood-feeding parasites. These hematophagy, hematophagous organisms such as malaria parasites (''Plasmodium spp.''), ''Rhodnius'' and ''Schistosoma'' digest haemoglobin an ...

) are present within the erythrocytes Pigment granules are refractile and yellow to brown in colour.

Pathology

Infections with most ''Haemoproteus'' species appear to produce subclinical infections. Post-mortem findings include enlargement of the

and

kidney In humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organ (anatomy), organs that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. They are located on the left and rig ...

s. These organs may appear chocolate-brown due to hemozoin deposition. Cytologic imprints may reveal schizont-laden endothelial cells. Some species of ''Haemoproteus'' will also form large, cyst-like bodies within the skeletal muscles that resembling those seen with ''

Sarcocystis ''Sarcocystis'' is a genus of protozoan parasites, with many species infecting mammals, reptiles and birds. Its name is derived from Greek language, Greek ''sarx'' = flesh and ''kystis'' = bladder. The lifecycle of a typical member of this genus ...

'' species infections. Pigeons infected with '' H. columbae'' may develop enlarged

gizzard The gizzard, also referred to as the ventriculus, gastric mill, and gigerium, is an organ found in the digestive tract of some animals, including archosaurs (birds and other dinosaurs, crocodiles, alligators, pterosaurs), earthworms, some gast ...

s; and

anemia Anemia (also spelt anaemia in British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen. This can be due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin availabl ...

has been recorded. Flocks of bobwhite quail (''

Colinus virginianus The northern bobwhite (''Colinus virginianus''), also known as the Virginia quail or (in its home range) bobwhite quail, is a ground-dwelling bird native to Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, with introduced populations elsewhere in th ...

'') may become infected with '' H. lophortyx''. Infected birds may suffer from reluctance to move, ruffled appearance, prostration and death. Other findings include parasitemia and anemia. Large megaloschizonts may be present in

skeletal muscle Skeletal muscle (commonly referred to as muscle) is one of the three types of vertebrate muscle tissue, the others being cardiac muscle and smooth muscle. They are part of the somatic nervous system, voluntary muscular system and typically are a ...

s, particularly those of the thighs and back. The average cumulative mortality for flocks experiencing outbreaks may be over 20%. Experimental infection of turkeys with '' H. meleagridis'' resulted in lameness, diarrhea, depression, emaciation, anorexia and occasionally anemia. Muscovey ducks infected with '' H. nettionis'' suffered lameness, dyspnea and sudden death. In other avian species, anemia and anorexia have been reported occasionally. Importantly, new records of ''Haemoproteus'' are discovered constantly and should still be monitored for effects on host condition.

Effect on vectors

''H. columbae'' infects rock pigeons (''

'') and is

ed by a hippoboscid fly (''

''). Both sexes of the vector can transmit the parasite. Species of the ''

Hippoboscoidea Hippoboscoidea is a superfamily (zoology), superfamily of the Calyptratae. The flies in this superfamily are blood-feeding obligate parasites of their hosts. Four family (biology), families are often placed here: *Glossinidae - Tsetse fly, Tsets ...

'', the superfamily to which ''Ps. canariensis'', belongs do not lay

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the ...

s. Instead the larvae hatch ''in utero'', are fed internally by "milk glands," and pass through three morphological stages before being deposited to pupate. The survival of female flies is significantly reduced when they are infected with the parasite. In contrast, no effect is seen on male fly survival. In addition, the females produce fewer offspring when infected but the quality of the offspring does not seem to be affected.

Host records

Avian hosts

*''H. anthi'' — yellow wagtails ('' Motacilla flava'') *''H. antigonis'' — Florida sandhill crane ('' Grus canadensis pratensis'') *''H. balearicae'' — black crowned crane ('' Balearica pavonina gibbericeps'', '' B. p. pavonina''), Florida sandhill crane ('' Grus canadensis pratensis'') *''H. bambusicolae'' — bamboo partridge ('' Bambusicola thoracica sonorivox'') *''H. beckeri'' — gray catbird ('' Dumetella carolinensis'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) belopolskyi'' — blackcaps (''

Sylvia atricapilla The Eurasian blackcap (''Sylvia atricapilla'') is a bird usually known simply as the blackcap. It is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences across the five subspec ...

'') *''H. bennetti'' — greater yellownape ('' Picus flavinucha'') *''H. borgesi'' — red cockaded woodpecker ('' Picoides borealis'') *''H. brachiatus'' — saker falcon (''

Falco cherrug The saker falcon (Falco cherrug) is a large falcon species. It breeds from Central Europe eastwards across the Palearctic to Manchuria. It is a partial migrant, which means that some part of the population is bird migration, migratory, some part ...

'') *''H. bucerotis'' — red billed hornbill ('' Tockus erythrorhynchus'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) canachites'' — grouse *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) catharti'' — turkey vulture (''

Cathartes aura The turkey vulture (''Cathartes aura'') is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus '' Cathartes'' of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of Sou ...

'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) coatneyi'' — bananaquit ('' Coereba flaveola''), white-crowned sparrows ('' Zonotrichia leucophrys'') *''H. (Haemoproteus) columbae'' — Japanese black wood pigeons ('' Columba janthina''), pigeon (''

''), doves (''

Columbina talpacoti The ruddy ground dove (''Columbina talpacoti'') is a small New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from Mexico south to Brazil, Peru and Paraguay, and northern Argentina, and on Trinidad and Tobago. Individual birds can sometimes be see ...

'', '' Scardafella squammata'', '' Zenaida auriculata''), laughing dove ('' Stigmatopelia senegalensis''), eastern white-winged doves ('' Z. asiatica asiatica''), mourning doves ('' Z. macroura'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) concavocentralis'' — hawfinch ('' Coccothraustes coccothraustes'') *''H. cornuata'' — coppersmith barbet ('' Megalaima haemacephala'') *''H. crumenium'' — wood stork (''

Mycteria americana The wood stork (''Mycteria americana'') is a large wading bird in the family Ciconiidae (storks). Originally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, this stork is native to the subtropics and tropics of the Americas where it persists in habitats wi ...

'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) cyanomitrae'' — olive sunbird ('' Nectarinia olivacea'', ''Cyanomitra olivacea'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) danilewskyi'' — blue jays ('' Cyanocitta cristata'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) desseri'' — blossom headed parakeet ('' Psittacula roseata'') *''H. dicruri'' — fork tailed drongo ('' Dicrurus adsimilis''), crested drongos ('' D. forficatus'') *''H. elani'' — Cooper's hawk (''

Accipiter cooperii Cooper's hawk (''Astur cooperii'') is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from southern Canada to Mexico. This species was formerly placed in the genus ''Accipiter''. As in many birds of prey, the male is small ...

''), sharp shinned hawk ('' A. striatus'') *''H. enucleator'' — kingfisher (''

Ispidina picta The African pygmy kingfisher (''Ispidina picta'') is a small insectivorous kingfisher found in the Afrotropics, mostly in woodland habitats. Taxonomy The African pygmy kingfisher was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte ...

'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) fringillae'' — rufous-winged ('' Aimophila carpalis''), house finch ('' Carpodacus mexicanus''), hawfinch ('' Coccothraustes coccothraustes''), oriental magpie robin (''

Copsychus saularis The Oriental magpie-robin (''Copsychus saularis'') is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush (bird), thrush family Turdidae, but now considered an Old World flycatcher. They are distinctive black and white bir ...

''), dark-eyed juncos (''

Junco hyemalis The dark-eyed junco (''Junco hyemalis'') is a species of junco, a group of small, grayish New World sparrows. The species is common across much of temperate North America and in summer it ranges far into the Arctic. It is a variable species, muc ...

''), American redstarts ('' Setophaga ruticilla'') *''H. forresteri'' — rufous-headed ground-roller ('' Atelornis crossleyi'') *''H. gabaldoni'' — Muscovy duck (''

Cairina moschata The Muscovy duck (''Cairina moschata'') is a duck native to the Americas, from the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Mexico south to Argentina and Uruguay. The species has been domesticated, and feral Muscovy ducks can be found locally in New ...

'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) garnhami'' — sparrows *''H. goodmani'' — pitta-like ground-roller (''

Atelornis pittoides The pitta-like ground roller (''Atelornis pittoides'') is a species of bird in the ground roller family Brachypteraciidae. The species is monotypic, having no subspecies. It is endemic to Madagascar. The species was described by Frédéric de L ...

'') *''H. greineri'' — wood ducks (''

Aix sponsa The wood duck or Carolina duck (''Aix sponsa'') is a partially migratory species of perching duck found in North America. The male is one of the most colorful North American waterfowls. Taxonomy The wood duck was formally described in 1758 ...

''), common mergansers ('' Mergus merganser''), common pochard (''

Aythya ferina The common pochard (; ''Aythya ferina''), known simply as pochard in the United Kingdom, is a medium-sized diving duck in the family Anatidae. It is widespread across the Palearctic. It breeds primarily in the steppe regions of Scandinavia and Si ...

'') *''H. handai'' — lesser sulphur-crested cockatoo ('' Cacatua sulphurea''), plum-headed parakeet (''

Psittacula cyanocephala The plum-headed parakeet (''Psittacula cyanocephala'') is a species of parakeet in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and was once thought to be conspecific with the blossom-headed parakeet (''P. roseata'') before be ...

''), ring necked parakeet (''

Psittacula krameri manillensis The rose-ringed parakeet (''Psittacula krameri''), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, ringneck parrot (in aviculture) or the Kramer parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus ''Psittacula'', of the family Psittacidae. It has disjunct nati ...

'') *''H. himalayanus'' — rufous sibia ('' Heterophasia capistrata'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) homobelopolskyi'' — red headed malimbe (''

Malimbus rubricollis The red-headed malimbe (''Malimbus rubricollis'') is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is native to the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, African tropical rainforest. References External links Red-headed malimbe
...

''), black headed weaver (''

Ploceus melanocephalus The black-headed weaver (''Ploceus melanocephalus''), also known as yellow-backed weaver, is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is a resident breeder in damp areas in tropical Africa. Taxonomy The black-headed weaver was formally ...

''), red billed quelea (''

Quelea quelea The red-billed quelea (; ''Quelea quelea''), also known as the red-billed weaver or red-billed dioch, is a small—approximately long and weighing —migratory, sparrow-like bird of the weaver family, Ploceidae, native to Sub-Saharan Africa. ...

'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) homopalloris'' - wood warblers (''

Phylloscopus sibilatrix The wood warbler (''Phylloscopus sibilatrix'') is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asian Russia in the southern Ural Mountains. This warbler is stron ...

'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) homovelans'' — grey-faced woodpecker ('' Picus canus'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) hudaidensis'' — blue checked bee-eater ('' Merops superciliosus persicus'' Pallas) *''H. ilanpapernai'' — spotted wood owl ('' Strix seloputo''), Brown Hawk-Owl (''

Ninox scutulata The brown boobook (''Ninox scutulata''), also known as the brown hawk-owl, is an owl which is a resident breeder in south Asia from India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal east to western Indonesia and south China. This species is a part o ...

'') *''H. iwa'' — great frigatebirds (''

Fregata minor The great frigatebird (''Fregata minor'') is a large seabird in the frigatebird family. There are major nesting populations in the tropical Pacific Ocean, such as Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands; in the Indian Ocean, colonies can be found in th ...

''), magnificent frigatebirds ('' F. magnificens'') *''H. janovyi'' — whitebacked vulture ('' Gyps africanus''), hooded vulture ('' Necrosyrtes monachus''), white-headed vulture (''

Trigonoceps occipitalis The white-headed vulture (''Trigonoceps occipitalis'') is an Old World vulture endemic to Africa. Populations have been declining steeply in recent years due to habitat degradation and poisoning of vultures at carcasses. An extinct relative was a ...

'') lappet faced vulture ('' Torgos tracheliotus'') *''H. (Haemoproteus) jenniae'' — swallow tailed gull ('' Creagrus furcatus'') *''H. khani'' — crested drongos (''

Dicrurus forficatus The crested drongo (''Dicrurus forficatus'') is a passerine bird in the family Dicruridae. It is black with a bluish-green sheen, a distinctive crest on the forehead and a forked tail. There are two subspecies; ''D. f. forficatus'' is endemic t ...

'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) lanii'' — red backed shrike (''

Lanius collurio The red-backed shrike (''Lanius collurio'') is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family, Laniidae. Its breeding range stretches from Western Europe east to central Russia. It is migratory and winters in the eastern areas of tr ...

''), woodchat shrike ('' L. senator'') *''H. lari'' — Caspian gulls ('' Larus cachinnans'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) lophortyx'' — California quail ('' Callipepla californica''), scaled quail ('' Callipepla squamata''), bobwhite quail (''

'') *''H. maccallumi'' — mourning doves ('' Zenaida macroura'') *''H. macrovacuolatus'' — black-bellied whistling duck ('' Dendrocygna autumnalis'') *''H. madagascariensis'' — hook billed vanga ('' Vanga curvirostris'') *''H. majoris'' — Swainson's thrush (''

Catharus ustulatus Swainson's thrush (''Catharus ustulatus''), also called olive-backed thrush, russet-backed thrush, and salmonberry bird is a medium-sized thrush. It is a member of genus '' Catharus'' and is typical of it in terms of its subdued coloration and be ...

''), blue tit ('' Cyanistes caeruleus''), collared flycatcher ('' Ficedula albicollis''), pied flycatcher ('' F. hypoleuca'') *''H. mansoni'' — blue grouse (''

Dendragapus obscurus The dusky grouse (''Dendragapus obscurus'') is a species of forest-dwelling grouse native to the Rocky Mountains in North America.del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J., eds. (1994). ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' 2: 401–402. Lynx Ed ...

''), ptarmigan ('' Lagopus lagopus'') *''H. meleagridis'' — turkey (''

Meleagris gallopavo The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland game bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey (''M. g. domesticus''), w ...

'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) micronuclearis'' — red headed malimbe (''

''), black headed weaver (''

''), red billed quelea (''

'') *''H. (Haemoproteus) multipigmentatus'' — Galapagos dove ('' Zenaida galapagoensis'') *''H. motacillae'' — yellow wagtails ('' Motacilla flava'') *''H. (Haemoproteus) multivolutinus'' — tambourine dove ('' Turtur timpanistria'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) nettionis'' — wood ducks (''

''), blue-winged teals ('' Anas discors''), Pekin duck (''

Anas platyrhynchos The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argen ...

''), lesser scaups ('' Aythya affinis''), common pochard (''

''), ring-necked ducks ('' Aythya collaris''), Muscovey duck (''

''), trumpeter swans ('' Cygnus buccinator'') *''H. nisi'' — Cooper's hawk (''

''), sharp shinned hawk ('' A. striatus'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) nucleofascialis'' — red headed malimbe (''

''), black headed weaver (''

''), red billed quelea (''

'') *''H. noctuae'' — snowy owls ('' Nyctea scandiaca''), spotted owl ('' Strix occidentalis'') *''H. orioli'' — golden oriole ('' Oriolus oriolus'') *''H. oryzivorae'' — oriental magpie robin (''

''), Indian silverbill ('' Lonchura malabarica''), tricoloured munia ('' L. malacca ruboniger''), scaly-breasted munia ('' L. punctulata''), baya weaver (''

Ploceus philippinus The baya weaver (''Ploceus philippinus'') is a weaverbird found across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Flocks of these birds are found in grasslands, cultivated areas, scrub and secondary growth and they are best known for their hang ...

''), jungle babbler ('' Turdoides striata'') *''H. palumbus'' — pigeon ('' Columba palumbus palumbus'') *''H. pallidus'' — pied flycatcher (''

Ficedula hypoleuca The European pied flycatcher (''Ficedula hypoleuca'') is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. One of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers, it bird hybrid, hybridises to a limited extent with th ...

''), collared flycatcher ('' F. albicollis'') *''H. pallidulus'' — blackcap (''

'') *''H. parabelopolskyi'' — blackcap (''

'') *''H. (Haemoproteus) paramultipigmentatus'' — Socorro common ground dove ('' Columbina passerina socorroensis'') *''H. passeris'' — Israeli house sparrow (''

Passer domesticus biblicus The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, ...

'') *''H. pasteris'' — pied myna ('' Sturnus contra''), grey headed myna ('' S. malabaricus'') *''H. pastoris'' — greater blue eared glossy starling ('' Lamprotornis chalybaeus''), pied myna ('' Sturnus contra'') *''H. payevskyi'' — great reed warbler (''

Acrocephalus arundinaceus The great reed warbler (''Acrocephalus arundinaceus'') is an insectivorous bird in the family Acrocephalidae. It is a medium-sized passerine bird and the largest of the European warblers. It breeds throughout mainland Europe and the Western Palea ...

''), marsh warbler ('' A. palustris'') *''H. (Haemoproteus) piresi'' — pigeon (''

'') *''H. plataleae'' — glossy ibis (''

Plegadis falcinellus The glossy ibis (''Plegadis falcinellus'') is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek ''plegados'' and Latin, ''falcis'', both meaning "sickle" a ...

'') *''H. pratosi'' — Ahanta francolin ('' Francolinus ahantensis'') *''H. pratasi'' — helmeted guineafowl (''

Numida meleagris The helmeted guinea fowl (''Numida meleagris'') is the best known of the guinea fowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus ''Numida''. It is native to Africa, mainly south of the Sahara, and has been widely introduced, as ...

'') *''H. prognei'' — purple martin ('' Progne subis'') *''H. psittaci'' — African grey parrot ('' Psittacus erithacus'') *''H. raymundi'' — eastern olive sunbird ('' Nectarinia olivacea'') *''H. (Haemoproteus) sacharovi'' — eastern white-winged doves ('' Zenaida asiatica asiatica''), mourning doves ('' Z. macroura'') *''H. sangunis'' — red whiskered bulbul ('' Pycnonotus jocosus emeria'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) sanîosdiasï'' — chicken (''

Gallus gallus The red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), also known as the Indian red junglefowl (and formerly the bankiva or bankiva-fowl), is a species of Tropics, tropical, predominantly Terrestrial animal, terrestrial bird in the fowl and pheasant family, P ...

'') *''H. silvaï'' — guinea fowl ('' Numida meleagris mitrata'') *''H. sylvae'' — great reed warbler (''

'') *''H. syrnii'' — tawny owl ('' Strix aluco''), spotted owl ('' S. occidentalis''), European scops owl ('' Otus scops'') *''H. telfordi'' — MacQueen's bustards ('' Chlamydotis macqueenii''), rufous-crested bustards ('' Eupodotis ruficrista''), great bustard (''

Otis tarda The great bustard (''Otis tarda'') is a bird in the bustard family, and the only living member of the genus '' Otis''. It breeds in open grasslands and farmland from northern Morocco, South and Central Europe to temperate Central and East Asia. ...

'') *''H. tendeiroi'' — MacQueen's bustards ('' Chlamydotis macqueenii''), rufous-crested bustards ('' Eupodotis ruficrista''), great bustard (''

'') *''H. tinnunculi'' — American kestrel (''

Falco sparverius The American kestrel (''Falco sparverius'') is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. Though it has been called the American sparrowhawk, this common name is a misnomer; the American kestrel is a true falcon, while neither th ...

''), Chimango caracara ('' Milvago chimango'') *''H. (Haemoproteus) turtur'' — turtle dove ('' Streptopelia turtur'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) vacuolatus'' — yellow whiskered greenbul ('' Andropadus latirostris'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) valkiūnasi'' — great frigatebirds (''

''), lesser frigatebirds ('' F. ariel''), Ascension frigatebirds ('' F. aquila'') *''H. vangii'' — hook billed vanga ('' Vanga curvirostris'') *''H. (Parahaemoproteus) velans'' — red-bellied woodpecker ('' Melanerpes carolinus''), red-cockaded woodpecker ('' Picoides borealis'') *''H. zosteropsis'' — oriental white eye ('' Zosterops palpebrosa palpebrosa'')

Reptile hosts

*''H. anatolicum'' — tortoise (''

Testudo graeca Greek tortoise (''Testudo graeca''), also known as the spur-thighed tortoise or Moorish tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. It is a medium sized herbivorous testudinae, widely distributed in the Mediterranean region. ...

'') *''H. balli'' — Egyptian cobra ('' Naja haje haje'') *''H. chelodina'' — saw-shelled tortoise ('' Elseya latisternum'') *''H. edomensis'' — lizard ('' Agama stellio'') *''H. geochelonis'' — tortoise (''

Geochelone denticulata The yellow-footed tortoise (''Chelonoidis denticulatus''), also known as the Brazilian giant tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae and is closely related to the red-footed tortoise (''C. carbonarius''). It is found in the ...

'') *''H. kopki'' — spotted Indian house gecko ('' Hemidactylus brookei''), giant frog eye gecko (''

Teratoscincus scincus ''Teratoscincus scincus'', commonly referred to as the common wonder gecko or the frog-eyed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is native to arid parts of Asia and has special adaptations which suit it to ...

'') *''H. mackerrasi'' — Binoe's prickly gecko ('' Heteronotia binoei'') *''H. mesnili'' — spitting cobra ('' Naja nigricollis nigricolli'') *''H. metchnikovi'' — turtle (''

Chrysemys picta The painted turtle (''Chrysemys picta'') is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in relatively slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They have been shown ...

''), yellow bellied terrapin ('' Tramchemys scripta'') *''H. oedurae'' — Australian northern velvet gecko ('' Oedura castelnaui'') *''H. peltocephali'' — river turtle (''

Peltocephalus dumerilianus The Big-headed Amazon River turtle (''Peltocephalus dumerilianus''),Ptyodactylus elisa ''Ptyodactylus'' is a genus of geckos, which are commonly known as fan-fingered geckos. The genus has 12 described species. Geographic range and habitat The genus ''Ptyodactylus'' is distributed across dry areas of Africa and the Middle East. ...

'') *''H. ptyodactyli'' — Kramer's yellow fan-fingered gecko (''

Ptyodactylus hasselquistii ''Ptyodactylus hasselquistii'', commonly known as the fan-footed gecko, Hasselquist's fan-footed gecko, and the yellow fan-fingered gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to northern Africa ...

'') *''H. tarentolae'' — Moorish gecko (''

Tarentola mauritanica ''Tarentola mauritanica'', known as the common wall gecko, is a species of gecko (Gekkota) native to the western Mediterranean area of North Africa and Europe. It has been introduced to Madeira and Balearic Islands, and the Americas (in Montevi ...

'') *''H. trionyxi'' —

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

softshell turtle ('' Trionyx gangeticus'')

Amphibian hosts

*''H. ovalis'' — cricket frog ('' Rana limnocharis'')

Hosts known to be infected but ''Haemoproteus'' species not identified

*common myna (''

Acridotheres tristis The common myna or Indian myna (''Acridotheres tristis''), sometimes spelled mynah, is a bird in the family Sturnidae, native to Asia. An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct, the common myna has adapted extremely we ...

'') *Blyth's reed warbler ('' Acrocephalus dumetorum'') *sedge warblers (''

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus The sedge warbler (''Acrocephalus schoenobaenus'') is an Old World warbler in the genus '' Acrocephalus''. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge warblers are migratory, crossin ...

'') *reed warbler (''

Acrocephalus scirpaceus The common reed warbler (''Acrocephalus scirpaceus'') is an Old World warbler in the genus '' Acrocephalus''. It breeds across Europe into the temperate western Palaearctic where it is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also a res ...

'') *clamorous reed warbler ('' Acrocephalus stentoreus'') *black throated sunbird ('' Aethopyga saturata'') *Spanish red-legged partridge ('' Alectoris rufa'') *imperial eagles ('' Aquila heliaca'') *canvasbacks ('' Aythya valisineria'') *white cockatoo ('' Cacatua alba'') *sulphur-crested cockatoo (''

Cacatua galerita The sulphur-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being ...

'') *speckled pigeon ('' Columba guinea'') *white-rumped shama ('' Copsychus malabaricus'') *green jays ('' Cyanocorax yncas glaucescens'') *European bee-eaters ('' Merops apiaster'') *mute swan (''

Cygnus olor The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurasia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to ...

'') *magnificent bird of paradise ('' Diphyllodes magnificus hunsteini'') *red munia ('' Estrilda amandava'') *lesser kestrel ('' Falco naumanni'') *common kestrel ('' Falco tinnunculus'') *Swainson's francolin ('' Francolinus swainsonii'') *magnificent frigatebirds (''

Fregata magnificens The magnificent frigatebird (''Fregata magnificens''), frigate petrel or man o' war is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. With a length of and wingspan of , it is the largest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtr ...

'') *chaffinch (''

Fringilla coelebs The Eurasian chaffinch, common chaffinch, or simply the chaffinch (''Fringilla coelebs'') is a common and widespread small passerine bird in the finch family. The male is brightly coloured with a blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts. The femal ...

'') *hill mynah ('' Gracula religiosa intermedia'') *long tailed shrike ('' Lanius schach'') *superb bird of paradise ('' Lophorina superba'') *Egyptian kites ('' Milvus migrans aegypticus'') *Guianan red-capped cardinal ('' Paroaria gularis gularis'') *lesser flamingos (''

Phoeniconaias minor The lesser flamingo (''Phoeniconaias minor'') is a species of flamingo occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and western India. Birds are occasionally reported from further north, but these are generally considered vagrants. Characteristics The lesser ...

'') *New Holland honeyeaters ('' Phylidonyris novaehollandiae'') *streaked weaver (''

Ploceus manyar The streaked weaver (''Ploceus manyar'') is a species of weaver bird found in South Asia and South-east Asia in the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailan ...

'') *Surinam crested oropendola ('' Psarocolius decumanus decumanus'') *Montezuma oropendolas (''

Psarocolius montezuma The Montezuma oropendola (''Psarocolius montezuma'') is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in the Caribbean coastal lowlands from southeastern Mexico to central Panama, but is absent from El Salvador and southern Guatemal ...

'') *Guianan turquoise tanager ('' Tangara mexicana mexicana'') *blue-necked tanager ('' Tangara cyanicollis caeruleocephala'') *sacred ibis ('' Threskiornis aethiopicus'') *white-crowned sparrows ('' Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha'')

Vectors

*''H. balmorali'' — ''

Culicoides impunctatus The highland midge (scientific name: ''Culicoides impunctatus''; ; ) is a species of biting midge found across the Palearctic (throughout Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, other regions of Northern Europe, Russia and Northern China) in upland and l ...

'' *''H. belopolskyi'' — ''

'' *''H. columbae'' — '' Ornithomyia avicularia'', ''

'' *''H. danilewskyi'' — '' Culicoides arboricola'', '' Culicoides edeni'', '' Culicoides knowltoni'' *''H. dolniki'' — ''

'' *''H. fringillae'' — ''

'' *''H. lanii'' — ''

'' *''H. lophortyx'' — '' Culicoides bottimeri'', '' Lynchia hirsuta'', '' Stilbometopa impressa'' *''H. metchinikovi'' — ''

Chrysops callidus ''Chrysops callidus'' is a species of deer fly in the family Tabanidae. Distribution Canada, United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North Am ...

'' *''H. nettionis'' — '' Culicoides downesi'' *''H. sacharovi'' — '' Peseudolynchia maura'' *''H. syrnii'' — '' Ornithomyia avicularia'' *''H. tartakovskyi'' — ''

'' *''H. turtur'' — ''

Avian families affected

The concept of a "one host-one species" was originally used in the taxonomy of this genus as it appears that the parasites are at least moderately host specific. After this rule was found to be incorrect, it was suggested that the avian parasite species were limited to single avian families. From an inspection of the host records above it is clear that this is not the case. The avian species known to be infected are listed below: Order

Family

Accipitridae The Accipitridae () is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects ...

*Cooper's hawk (''

'') *Sharp shinned hawk (''

Accipiter striatus The sharp-shinned hawk (''Accipiter striatus'') or northern sharp-shinned hawk, commonly known as a sharpie, is a small hawk, with males being the smallest hawks in the United States and Canada, but with the species averaging larger than some Neo ...

'') *Eastern imperial eagle ('' Aquila heliaca'') *White-backed vulture ('' Gyps africanus'') *Black kite (''

Milvus migrans The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have ...

'') *Hooded vulture ('' Necrosyrtes monachus'') *White-headed vulture (''

'') *Lappet faced vulture ('' Torgos tracheliotos'') A 2024 study found that the ''Haemoproteus'' species from accipitrid birds formed a distinct clade, found in these birds only and which might be classified into a separate subgenus or even genus. Family

Cathartidae Cathartidae, known commonly as New World vultures or condors, are a family of birds of prey consisting of seven extant species in five genera. It includes five extant vultures and two extant condors found in the Americas. They are known as "New W ...

*Turkey vulture (''

'') Order

Family

Anatidae The Anatidae are the biological family (biology), family of water birds that includes ducks, goose, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted f ...

*Wood duck (''

'') *Blue winged teal ('' Anas discors'') *Mallard duck (''

'') *Lesser scaup ('' Aythya affinis'') *Ring necked duck ('' Aythya collaris'') *Canvasback ('' Aythya valisineria'') *Muscovy duck (''

'') *Trumpeter swan ('' Cygnus buccinator'') *Mute swan (''

'') *Black-bellied whistling duck ('' Dendrocygna autumnalis'') *Common merganser ('' Mergus merganser'') Order

Family

Laridae Laridae is a family of seabirds in the order Charadriiformes that includes the gulls, terns (including white terns), noddies, and skimmers. It includes around 100 species arranged into 22 genera. They are an adaptable group of mostly aerial bird ...

*Swallow tailed gull ('' Creagrus furcatus'') *Caspian gull ('' Larus cachinnans'') Order

Ciconiiformes Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons and ibise ...

Family Ciconiidae *Wood stork (''

'') Order

Family

Columbidae Columbidae is a bird Family (biology), family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the Order (biology), order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in ...

*Speckled pigeon ('' Columba guinea'') *Japanese wood pigeon ('' Columba janthina'') *Rock pigeon (''

'') *Common wood pigeon ('' Columba palumbus'') *Socorro common ground dove ('' Columbina passerina socorroensis'') *Ruddy ground dove (''

'') *Tambourine dove ('' Turtur timpanistria'') *Scaled dove ('' Scardafella squammata'') *European turtle dove ('' Streptopelia turtur'') *Laughing dove ('' Stigmatopelia senegalensis'') *White-winged dove ('' Zenaida asiatica'') *Eared dove ('' Zenaida auriculata'') *Galápagos Dove ('' Zenaida galapagoensis'') *Mourning dove ('' Zenaida macroura'') Order

Coraciiformes The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their b ...

Family Alcedinidae *African pygmy kingfisher (''

'') Family

Brachypteraciidae The ground rollers, Brachypteraciidae, are a small family of non-migratory birds restricted to Madagascar. They are members of the order Coraciiformes and are most closely related to the rollers in the family Coraciidae. Description Ground rol ...

*Rufous headed ground roller ('' Atelornis crossleyi'') *Pitta like ground roller (''

'') Family

Bucerotidae Hornbills are birds found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia of the family Bucerotidae. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a horny casque on the upper ...

*Red-billed hornbill ('' Tockus erythrorhynchus'') Family

Meropidae The bee-eaters are a group of birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and thirty-one species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly co ...

*Blue checked bee-eater (''

Merops superciliosus The olive bee-eater or Madagascar bee-eater (''Merops superciliosus'') is a near passerine bee-eater species in the genus ''Merops''. It is native to the southern half of Africa where it is present in Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Comoros; Democrati ...

'') Order

Family

Falconidae The falcons and caracaras are around 65 species of Diurnality, diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae (representing all extant species in the order (biology), order Falconiformes). The family likely originated in South America d ...

*Saker falcon (''

'') *Lesser kestrel ('' Falco naumanni'') *American kestrel (''

'') *Common kestrel ('' Falco tinnunculus'') *Chimango caracara ('' Milvago chimango'') Order

Family

Numididae Guinea fowl () (or guineahen) are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched off from the core Galliformes after the Cra ...

*Helmeted guineafowl (''

'') Family

Odontophoridae The New World quail are small birds, that despite their similar appearance and habits to the Old World quail, belong to a different family known as the Odontophoridae. In contrast, the Old World quail are in the Phasianidae family, sharing only ...

*California quail ('' Callipepla californica'') *Scaled quail ('' Callipepla squamata'') *Bobwhite quail (''

'') Family

Phasianidae Phasianidae is a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, grouse, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hu ...

*Red legged partridge ('' Alectoris rufa'') *Chinese bamboo partridge (''

Bambusicola thoracicus The Chinese bamboo partridge (''Bambusicola thoracicus'') is a small Galliform bird. It is one of three species in the genus '' Bambusicola'', along with the mountain bamboo partridge of the Himalayas, and the Taiwan bamboo partridge of Taiwan. ...

'') *Ahanta francolin ('' Francolinus ahantensis'') *Swainson's francolin ('' Francolinus swainsonii'') *Chicken (''

'') *Willow grouse ('' Lagopus lagopus'') *Wild turkey (''

'') Family

Tetraonidae Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes, in the family Phasianidae. Grouse are presently assigned to the tribe Tetraonini (formerly the subfamily Tetraoninae and the family Tetraonidae), a classification supported by mitochondri ...

*Dusky grouse (''

'' Order

Gruiformes The Gruiformes ( ) are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and terrestrial bird families that ...

Family Gruidae *Black crowned crane (''

Balearica pavonina The black crowned crane (''Balearica pavonina'') is a part of the family Gruidae, along with its sister species, the grey crowned crane. It is topped with its characteristic bristle-feathered golden crown. It is usually found in the shallow we ...

'') *Sandhill crane ('' Grus canadensis'') Family

Otidae Otidae is a clade that includes the superorders Otidimorphae (bustards, turacos, and cuckoos) and Strisores (nightbirds, swifts, and hummingbirds). It was identified in 2014 by genome analysis.Jarvis, E.D. ''et al''. (2014Whole-genome analyses res ...

*MacQueen's bustard ('' Chlamydotis macqueenii'') *Red crested bustard ('' Eupodotis ruficrista'') *Great bustard (''

'') Order

Family

Acrocephalidae The Acrocephalidae (the reed warblers, marsh- and tree-warblers, or acrocephalid warblers) are a family of oscine passerine birds, in the superfamily Sylvioidea. The species in this family are usually rather large "warblers". Most are rather pl ...

*Great reed warbler (''

'') *Blyth's reed warbler ('' Acrocephalus dumetorum'') *Marsh warbler (''

Acrocephalus palustris The marsh warbler (''Acrocephalus palustris'') is an Old World warbler currently classified in the family Acrocephalidae. It breeds in temperate Europe and the western Palearctic and winters mainly in southeast Africa. It is notable for incorpora ...

'') *Sedge warbler (''

'') *Reed warbler (''

'') *Clamorous reed warbler ('' Acrocephalus stentoreus'') Family

Corvidae Corvidae is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan Family (biology), family of Songbird, oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, Rook (bird), rooks, magpies, jackdaws, jays, treepies, choughs, and Nutcracker (bird), nutcrackers ...

*Blue jay ('' Cyanocitta cristata'') *Green jay ('' Cyanocorax yncas'') Family Dicruridae *Fork-tailed drongo ('' Dicrurus adsimilis'') *Crested drongo (''

'') Family

Emberizidae The buntings are a group of Old World passerine birds forming the genus ''Emberiza'', the only genus in the family Emberizidae. The family contains 44 species. They are seed-eating birds with stubby, conical bills. Taxonomy The family Emberizid ...

*Dark eyed junco (''

'') *Rufous winged sparrow ('' Peucaea carpalis'') *White crowned sparrow ('' Zonotrichia leucophrys'') Family

Estrildidae Estrildidae, or estrildid finches, is a family of small seed-eating passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They comprise species commonly known as munias, mannikins, firefinches, parrotfinches and waxbills. They are gregarious ...

*Red munia (''

Amandava amandava The red avadavat (''Amandava amandava''), red munia or strawberry finch, is a sparrow-sized bird of the family Estrildidae. It is found in the open fields and grasslands of tropical Asia and is popular as a cage bird due to the colourful plumag ...

'') *Indian silverbill ('' Euodice malabarica'') *Tricoloured munia ('' Lonchura malacca'') *Scaly breasted munia ('' Lonchura punctulata'') Family

Fringillidae The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches generally have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where the ...

*House finch ('' Carpodacus mexicanus'') *Hawfinch ('' Coccothraustes coccothraustes'') *Chaffinch (''

'') Family

Hirundinidae The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The t ...

*Purple martin ('' Progne subis'') Family

Icteridae Icterids () or New World blackbirds make up a family, the Icteridae (), of small to medium-sized, often colorful, New World passerine birds. The family contains 108 species and is divided into 30 genera. Most species have black as a predominant ...

*Crested oropendola (''

Psarocolius decumanus The crested oropendola (''Psarocolius decumanus''), also known as the Suriname crested oropendola or the cornbird, is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in lowland South America east of the Andes, from Panama and Colombia ...

'') *Montezuma oropendola (''

'') Family

Laniidae Shrikes () are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of 34 species in two genera. The family name, and that of the larger genus, ''Lanius'', is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known ...

*Red backed shrike (''

'') *Long tailed shrike ('' Lanius schach'') *Woodchat shrike (''

Lanius senator The woodchat shrike (''Lanius senator'') is a member of the shrike family Laniidae. It can be identified by its red-brown crown and nape. It is mainly insectivorous and favours open wooded areas with scattered trees such as orchards, particularly ...

'') Family

Meliphagidae The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family (biology), family, Meliphagidae, of small to medium-sized birds. The family includes the Epthianura, Australian chats, myzomelas, friarbirds, wattlebirds, Manorina, miners and melidectes. They are m ...

*New Holland honeyeaters ('' Phylidonyris novaehollandiae'') Family Mimidae *Gray catbird ('' Dumetella carolinensis'') Family

Motacillidae The wagtails, longclaws, and pipits are a family (biology), family, Motacillidae, of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. Around 70 species occur in five genus, genera. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the ...

*Yellow wagtail ('' Motacilla flava'') Family

Muscicapidae The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), with the exception of several vagrants and two species, bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica'') and north ...

*White rumped shama ('' Copsychus malabaricus'') *Oriental magpie robin (''

'') Family

Nectariniidae Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly i ...

*Black throated sunbird ('' Aethopyga saturata'') *Olive sunbird (''

Cyanomitra olivacea The olive sunbird (''Cyanomitra olivacea'') is a species of sunbird found in a large part of Africa south of the Sahel. It prefers forested regions, and is absent from drier, more open regions such as the Horn of Africa and most of south-central ...

'') Family Oriolidae *Golden oriole ('' Oriolus oriolus'') Family

Paridae The tits, chickadees, and titmice constitute the Paridae, a family of small passerine birds which occur mainly in the Northern Hemisphere and Africa. Many were formerly classified in the genus ''Parus''. Eurasian and African members of this f ...

*Blue tit ('' Cyanistes caeruleus'') Family

Paradisaeidae The birds-of-paradise are members of the Family (biology), family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species are found in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and eastern Australia. The family has 45 species in 17 genera. T ...

*Magnificent bird of paradise ('' Cicinnurus magnificus'') *Superb bird of paradise ('' Lophorina superba'') Family

Parulidae The New World warblers or wood-warblers are a group of small, often colorful, passerine birds that make up the family Parulidae and are restricted to the New World. The family contains 120 species. They are not closely related to Old World warb ...

*American redstart ('' Setophaga ruticilla'') Family

Passeridae Old World sparrows are a group of small passerine birds forming the family Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, a name also used for a particular genus of the family, '' Passer''. They are distinct from both the New World sparrows, ...

*House sparrow (''

Passer domesticus The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, ...

'') Family

Ploceidae Ploceidae is a family of small passerine birds, many of which are called weavers, weaverbirds, weaver finches, or bishops. These names come from the nests of intricately woven vegetation created by birds in this family. In most recent classificat ...

*Red headed malimbe (''

'') *Streaked weaver (''

'') *Black-headed weaver (''

'') *Baya weaver (''

'') *Red billed quelea (''

'') Family

Pycnonotidae The bulbuls are members of a family (biology), family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized perching bird, passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and in ...

*Yellow whiskered bulbul ('' Andropadus latirostris'') *Red whiskered bulbul ('' Pycnonotus jocosus'') Family Sturnidae *Common myna (''

'') *Common hill myna ('' Gracula religiosa'') *Chestnut tailed starling ('' Sturnia malabarica'') *Asian pied starling ('' Sturnus contra'') *Greater blue eared glossy starling ('' Lamprotornis chalybaeus'') Family

Sylviidae Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that includes the typical warblers ''Sylvia'', and closely related genus '' Curruca'', formerly included in ''Sylvia''. They are found in Eurasia and Africa, with the greatest diversity in the Mediterrane ...

*Blackcap (''

'') Family

Thraupidae The tanagers (singular ) comprise the bird family (biology), family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12 ...

*Bananaquit ('' Coereba flaveola'') *Red capped cardinal ('' Paroaria gularis'') *Blue necked tanager ('' Tangara cyanicollis'') *Turquoise tanager ('' Tangara mexicana'') Family Timaliidae *Rufous sibia ('' Heterophasia capistrata'') *Jungle babbler ('' Turdoides striata'') Family

Turdidae The thrushes are a passerine bird family, Turdidae, with a worldwide distribution. The family was once much larger before biologists reclassified the former subfamily Saxicolinae, which includes the chats and European robins, as Old World flyca ...

*Swainson's thrush (''

'') Family

Vangidae The family Vangidae (from ''vanga'', Malagasy language, Malagasy for the hook-billed vanga, ''Vanga curvirostris'') comprises a group of often shrike-like medium-sized birds distributed from Asia to Africa, including the vangas of Madagascar to ...

*Hook billed vanga ('' Vanga curvirostris'') Family

Zosteropidae The white-eyes are a family, Zosteropidae, of small passerine birds native to tropical, subtropical and temperate Sub-Saharan Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and Australasia. White-eyes inhabit most tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, the ...

*Oriental white eye ('' Zosterops palpebrosus'') Order

Family

Fregatidae Frigatebirds are a Family (biology), family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, l ...

*Magnificent frigatebird (''

'') *Great frigatebird (''

'') Family

Threskiornithidae The family Threskiornithidae includes 36 species of large wading birds. The family has been traditionally classified into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills; however, recent genetic studies have cast doubt on this arrangement, and ha ...

*African sacred ibis ('' Threskiornis aethiopicus'') *Glossy ibis (''

'') Order

Piciformes Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes (), the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives. The Piciformes contain about 71 living genera with a little over 450 species, ...

Family

Megalaimidae Megalaimidae, the Asian barbets, are a family of birds, comprising two genera with 35 species native to the forests of the Indomalayan realm from Tibet to Indonesia. They were once clubbed with all barbets in the family Capitonidae but the Old Wo ...

*Coppersmith barbet ('' Megalaima haemacephala'') Family

Picidae Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar and the extreme polar regions. ...

*Red bellied woodpecker ('' Melanerpes carolinus'') *Red cockaded woodpecker ('' Picoides borealis'') *Grey faced woodpecker ('' Picus canus'') *Greater yellownape ('' Picus flavinucha'') Order

Phoenicopteriformes Phoenicopteriformes is a group of water birds which comprises flamingos and their extinct relatives. Flamingos (Phoenicopteriformes) and the closely related grebes ( Podicipedidae) are contained in the parent clade Mirandornithes. Fossil ...

Family

Phoenicopteridae Flamingos or flamingoes () are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbe ...

*Lesser flamingo ('' Phoenicopterus minor'') Order Psittaciformes Family

Cacatuidae A cockatoo is any of the 21 species of parrots belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea ( true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up t ...

*White cockatoo ('' Cacatua alba'') *Sulphur crested cockatoo (''

'') *Yellow crested cockatoo ('' Cacatua sulphurea'') Family

Psittacidae The Family (biology), family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of true parrots. It comprises the 12 species of subfamily Psittacinae (the Afrotropics, Afrotropical parrots) and 167 of subfamily Arinae (the New World or ...

*Plum headed parakeet (''

'') *Rose ringed parakeet (''

Psittacula krameri The rose-ringed parakeet (''Psittacula krameri''), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, ringneck parrot (in aviculture) or the Kramer parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus '' Psittacula'', of the family Psittacidae. It has disjunct na ...

'') *Blossom headed parakeet ('' Psittacula roseata'') *African grey parrot ('' Psittacus erithacus'') Order Strigiformes Family

Strigidae The true owls or typical owls (family (biology), family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls and bay owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species ...

*Snowy owl ('' Bubo scandiacus'') *Brown Hawk-Owl (''

'') *European scops owl ('' Otus scops'') *Brown owl ('' Strix aluco'') *Spotted owl ('' Strix occidentalis'') *Spotted wood owl ('' Strix seloputo'')

Notes

''Haemoproteus balazuci'' Dias 1953 is a junior synonym of '' H. testudinalis'' ''Haemoproteus gymnorhidis'' de Mello 1936, ''Haemoproteus granulosum'' Rey Vila 1945, ''Haemoproteus danilewskyi var. urbanensis'' Sachs 1953 and ''Haemoproteus zasukhini'' Burtikashvili 1973 are considered to be synonyms of '' H. passeris'' Kruse 1890. ''Haemoproteus rouxi'' Novy and MacNeal 1904 is a ''

nomen nudum In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, a ''nomen nudum'' ('naked name'; plural ''nomina nuda'') is a designation which looks exactly like a scientific name of an organism, and may have originally been intended to be one, but it has not been published ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5638270 Haemosporida Apicomplexa genera Poultry diseases Veterinary protozoology Parasites of reptiles Parasites of amphibians