A new Eimeria species (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Sporozoea) from the Blue Rock Pigeon Columba livia (Aves: Columbidae)

A new species of Eimeria is described from the faeces of the Blue Rock Pigeon, Columba livia Gmelin, 1789.Sporulation is exogenous and fully developed oocysts are ellipsoidal, 24.3µm x 19.8µm; the shape index (length/width ratio) is 1.2.The oocyst wall is smooth and bilayered.There is no micropyle or oocyst residuum, but a prominent spherical polar granule is present.Sporocysts are pyriform, 12.06µm x 10.1µm; the shape index is 1.2µm.A large and prominent stieda body is present.The sporocyst residuum is present with numerous, nearly uniform granules.Sporozoites are banana-shaped lying lengthwise head to tail inside the sporocyst.