RENAL COCCIDIOSIS AND OTHER PARASITOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN LESSER SNOWGOOSE GOSLINGS AT THA-ANNE RIVER, WEST-COAST HUDSON-BAY

Lesser snow goose (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) goslings, approxima tely 5 weeks of age, were collected near the mouth of Tha-anne River, Northwest Territories, Canada, during mid-August 1991. Many dead gosli ngs had been observed in the area from 1988 to 1990. Goslings from nea r the coast, where habitat degradation by grazing geese was severe, we re smaller, weighed less, and had a greater prevalence of renal coccid iosis (Eimeria truncata) and cecal nematode (Trichostrongylus spp.) in fection than did goslings from inland areas, where habitat destruction was not evident. Prevalence of infection with intestinal cestodes was greater at inland than at coastal sites. Prevalences of gizzard nemat odes (Epomidiostomum spp.) and Leucocytozoon spp. were not significant ly different at the two sites. Histological examination of kidneys and examination of kidney homogenates for oocysts were more sensitive met hods than gross examination of the kidneys for detecting renal coccidi al infection. The number of oocysts present in droppings was not a goo d indicator of the severity of renal coccidial infection in individual birds; however, the average number of oocysts in droppings was indica tive of the average severity of infection among groups of goslings.