Disease prevalence in an urban raptor related to pest species: the case of Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops infection by Gongylonema sp.

Abstract

Urbanization is often associated with homogenization, including the homogenization of biodiversity and overpopulation by generalist species that can change community and disease dynamics. In Madrid, nestlings of Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops frequently suffer necrotic oropharyngeal disease as a result of infection by Gongylonema sp., a parasitic nematode transmitted by adult owls to their offspring through the diet, more specifically through consumption of a pest species: the oriental cockroach Blatta orientalis. We studied how the presence of cockroaches and owl infection rates are affected by urban features such as green areas. We found that a higher number of birds were affected by the parasite in the initial period of the breeding season and in areas with greater surface area of green spaces. We suggest that urban management should promote the diversity of insects in green areas so that the owls diversify their dietary offer to their offspring, to reduce the prevalence of the disease and improve their breeding success in the city of Madrid, as this problem has not yet been described in other cities.