Strigea falconispalumbi in Eurasian Buzzards from Germany

Eighty-three free-living Eurasian buzzards (Buteo buteo) from three different areas in Germany were examined for adult stages and the metacercaria of the trematode Strigea falconispalumbi. Prevalences of adult parasites in the small intestine was 36% (Berlin/Brandenburg), 28% (Lower Saxony) and 3% (Baden-Württemberg). Metacercaria in the connective tissue of the neck were found in 58%, 55%, and 10% of birds from the respective areas. Significant differences in the prevalence of S. falconispalumbi adults and metacercaria between the areas were attributed to the different abundance of freshwater which is the key habitat for two intermediate hosts.