HAEMOPROTEUS IN THE HOUBARA (CHLAMYDOTIS-UNDULATA-MACQUEENII) AND THERUFOUS-CRESTED BUSTARD (EUPODOTIS-RUFICRISTA) IN THE UNITED-ARAB-EMIRATES

A routine microscopic examination of blood smears from 52 houbara bust ards (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii) recently imported into the Unit ed Arab Emirates revealed that 32 (61.5%) birds were infected with Hae moproteus tendeiroi and H. telfordi. Haemoproteus tendeiroi was found alone in most of the infected birds, whereas a combination of H. telfo rdi and H. tendeiroi was found together in two birds, and only one bir d was infected with H. telfordi alone. In eight recently imported rufo us-crested bustards (Eupodotis ruficrista), 50% were found to be infec ted with haemoparasites. Four birds were infected with H. telfordi and one of these was also infected with H. tendeiroi. The schizonts for t he two Haemoproteus species described in this study may have had predi lection for skeletal muscle as these were not detected in several othe r tissue samples examined from known infected birds.