HEMATOZOA OF REDWING AND GREYWING FRANCALIN FROM 3 MONTANE GRASSLAND HABITATS IN MPUMALANGA PROVINCE, SOUTH-AFRICA

We examined blood smears collected from 28 Redwing Francolin Francolin us levaillantii and nine Greywing Francolin F. africanus from three mo ntane grassland habitats in the highlands of Mpumalanga Province, Sout h Africa, from August 1996 to March 1997. Three haematozoan parasites were identified of which Leucocytozoon macleani and microfilaria were the most common and Trypanosoma avium the least common. The incidence of infections were higher in Redwing Francolin (64.3%) than in Greywin g Francolin (11.1%). Francolins collected in grasslands which had been exposed to higher grazing pressures and more frequent burning had a h igher prevalence of blood parasites. Infections with L. macleani were significantly (P < 0.01) greater in commercially grazed and frequently burnt grassland habitats than in less intensively utilized grasslands . Incidence of infection by haematozoa was inversely related to popula tion density of Redwing Francolin. Haematozoal infections do not seem to pose any threat to population densities of these two grassland fran colins within the study region.