Belleau, E.

Bessone, M.

Carpignano, M. G.

Chiodo, E.

Fanelli, A.

Ficetto, G.

Giordano, O.

Lasagna, A.

Menardi, G.

Meneguz, P. G.

Molinar Min, A.

Peano, A.

Rossi, L.

Tizzani, P.

English

Institutional Research Information System University of Turin

         GROUSE NEWS Newsletter of the Grouse Group of the IUCN-SSC Galliformes Specialist Group  Galliformes Specialist Group               Issue 59 May 2020       Grouse News 59  Newsletter of the Grouse Group  2  Chair Grouse Group within the IUCN-SSC Galliformes Specialist Group Mike Schroeder, Chair, Grouse Group within the IUCN-SSC Galliformes SG (GSG)  Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1530 Douglas Avenue, Bridgeport, Washington 98813, USA, Michael.schroeder@dfw.wa.gov  Editor Tor Kristian Spidsø, Editor Grouse News Skilsøtoppen 33, N-4818 Færvik, Norway, TKS.Grouse@gmail.com  Co-editor North America Don Wolfe, Co-editor North America G. M. Sutton Avian Research Center, P.O. Box 2007, Bartlesville, OK  74005, dwolfe@suttoncenter.org  Editorial Board Claude Novoa, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Direction des Etudes et de la Recherche, Espace Alfred Sauvy, 66500 Prades, France, claude.novoa@oncfs.gouv.fr Leslie Robb,  P.O. Box 1077, Bridgeport, WA 98813, USA robblar@homenetnw.net Yasuyuki Nagano, Lecturer, International Nature and Outdoor Activities College, Haradori 70, Myoko-City, Niigata, Japan 949-2219 nagano.yasuyuki@nsg.gr.jp Yua-Hua Sun, Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,  sunyh@ioz.ac.cn   Grouse News 59  Newsletter of the Grouse Group  3  Contents From the Editor 4 From the Chair 4 News from the Galliformes Specialist Group  News from the Grouse Group  Conservation News 8 Status of Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan 8 California and Nevada sage-grouse will not be listed under ESA 8   Research Reports 9 Very old capercaillies recorded in the Northern Alps 9 Greater prairie-chicken reproductive failure following extreme precipitation events 12 Description of the parasitic community of mountain Galliformes in the Italian Alps. A large scale and long-term monitoring 16 Validation of stable isotope analysis for determining dietary proportions and trophic dynamics in plains sharp-tailed grouse 20   Conferences 21 The 15th International Grouse Symposium Białystok, Poland 2021 21   New Books 22 The Moorland Balance 22   Recent grouse literature 23   Researchers and their Best Friend Assistants 29 Canines as biodetectors for conservation work 29   Snippets 31 Capercaillie and black grouse on stamps 31 Ring-necked Pheasant on a Sharp-tailed Grouse lek 33   In Memoriam 34 Adam Watson: 14 April 1930 – 24 January 2019 34 James Francis Bendell, 1926–2020 36 Grouse News 59  Newsletter of the Grouse Group  16  Description of the parasitic community of mountain Galliformes in the Italian Alps. A large scale and long-term monitoring. Tizzani P., Fanelli A., Chiodo E., Menardi G., Giordano O., Ficetto G., Bessone M., Lasagna A., Carpignano M.G., Molinar Min A., Peano A., Rossi L., Belleau E., Meneguz P.G.  Introduction Galliformes is a large and diverse group of bird comprising about 70 genera and 281 extant species. Four Tetraonidae (Tetrao tetrix tetrix, Lagopus muta helvetica, Bonasa bonasia styriaca, Tetrao urogallus crassirostri) and one Phasianidae (Alectoris graeca saxatilis) inhabit the Italian Alps where they have a high biological value, and are of high conservation priority (Brichetti et al., 1992).  Although most of these alpine Galliformes in some parts of their range, are classified as Least Concern (not at conservation risk) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, many populations are red-listed at the national and regional levels because are in marked decline (Storch, 2007).  For this reason, they are included in Appendix I and II of the Birds Directive (79/409/EEC), which provides special measures for their conservation (European Parliament, 2009).  Few and not updated studies are available in literature on the sanitary status of these mountain Galliformes on the Italian Alps (Florio and Gamba 1992; Viganò et al. 2012a, 2012b, 2014; Formenti et al. 2013), even if recently some works partially filled a gap of information on the shared gastrointestinal parasite community of Galliformes species (Fanelli et al., 2020a, 2020b).   For the conservative management of Alpine Galliformes it would be essential, however, to acquire further information. In particular, there is very little data regarding their parasite community and the impact of parasites on population dynamics (Formenti et al., 2013). Although recent works have increased the knowledge on the epidemiology of the parasite community of some species (Formenti et al., 2013; Fanelli et al., 2020a; 2020b), the main limitation of almost all available studies is the reduced geographical extension of the area investigated, in relation to the range covered by the different host species. Moreover, most of the studies focus very often on only one or few host species, without providing an overview of the characteristics of the parasite community as a whole and of the interactions of the "host - parasite" system of the 5 Alpine Galliformes: A. g. saxatilis, T. t. tetrix, L. m. helvetica, B. b. styriaca and T. u. crassirostris. Considering that, this study presents the sanitary findings derived from a long-term monitoring of Alpine Galliformes parasites, analysed at the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Turin between 1984 and 2013.   Methods Data on to the gastroenteric parasite community of 694 animals including the five Alpine Galliformes species is reported. Samples were collected from 16 different Italian provinces (Figure 1).   Figure 1. Study areas and administrative divisions from which the samples were taken. Grouse News 59  Newsletter of the Grouse Group  17  For each animal, we opened the gastrointestinal tract with a longitudinal incision, and the content of the individual sections (proventriculus, gizzard, small and large intestine) was analyzed following the common parasitological standard techniques. Adult worms were counted under a stereoscope (MAFF 1986). We identified parasites at genus level with a light microscope and the identification key provided by Euzeby (1981; 1982) and Skrjabin (1954). Epidemiological characteristics including prevalence (percentage of infested host individuals in each sample), parasite richness (number of parasite species per host) and geographic distribution were calculated for each parasite.  Results Five parasite genera were detected: three nematodes (Ascaridia sp., Capillaria sp., and Heterakis sp.), one trematode (Corrigia sp.) and one cestode (species not identified). The distribution of the parasite at host level is presented in table 1. A. g. saxatilis resulted to be the host species with highest parasite richness (five parasites), while T. t. tetrix the one with lowest richness (three parasites).    Table 1. Parasite species reported by affected host species (1= species affected; 0=species not affected)    Ascaridia Capillaria Heterakis Corrigia Cestode A. g. saxatilis 1 1 1 1 1 T. t. tetrix 1 1 0 0 1 B. b. styriaca 1 1 0 1 1 L. m. helvetica 1 1 0 1 1 T. u. crassirostris 1 1 0 1 1   The prevalence of positive animals for each gastrointestinal section is provided in table 2. T. u. crassirostris resulted to be the host species with higher global parasite prevalence, followed by A. g. saxatilis. Also in this case T. t. tetrix was the host species presenting the lower values. In term of gastroenteric tracts, most of the parasites were detected in the small intestine, while the detection of parasites in the other sections was very rare (no parasites were found in proventriculus).   Table 2. Prevalence of parasite species reported by host. Overall prevalence, and prevalence by gastrointestinal sections are reported along with confidence intervals (CI).   Overall prevalence (CI) Gizzard (CI) Small intestine (CI) Large intestine (CI) A. g. saxatilis (180) 36.1 (34.8-37.4) 0.6 (0.6-0.6) 27.2 (26.3 – 28.1) 10.0 (9.8-10.2) T. t. tetrix (295) 10.8 (10.7 – 11.0) 0 10.8 (10.7–11.0) 1.0 (0.9-1.0) B. b. styriaca  (27) 18.5 (17.1 – 19.9) 0 18.5 (17.1–19.9) 0 L. m. helvetica (163) 23.9 (23.1 – 24.7) 0 23.9 (23.1–24.7) 0 T. u. crassirostris  (29) 79.3 (73.3 – 85.3) 0 79.3 (73.3–85.3) 0   Finally, the geographic distribution of the positive animals (prevalence values) by host species is provided in Figure 2. The highest prevalence was found in the central and western part of the Italian Alps. Grouse News 59  Newsletter of the Grouse Group  18    Figure 2. Geographic distribution of overall parasite prevalence by host species. Credits for the photos: Beltrando Fulvio (T. u. crassirostris) Giordano Omar (A. g. saxatilis and T.t. tetrix), Lasagna Angelo (L. m. helvetica), Zanini Stefano (B. b. styriaca).  Discussion This paper, even if very descriptive, provides interesting information on the parasite community of wild Galliformes in the Italian Alps. The paper includes data from a relevant number of animals, sampled from a large study area, and aims to fill a gap of information on the sanitary status (even if limited to parasites only) of these birds on the Alps. Moreover, it provides a unique comparative monitoring of the parasite community in the Alpine Galliformes, covering bird species with different biology, ecological needs, conservation status and population densities. The only work in some way comparable with the current one, is the study carried out by Fanelli et al. (2020a), that described the parasite community in the Eastern Italian Alps.  Only few parasite species have been detected, with A. g. saxatilis being the species with the highest parasite richness. The low parasite richness detected is in line with the recent finding of Fanelli et al. (2020a) and with previous studies carried out in Italian Alps (Viganò et al., 2012a,b; Formenti et al., 2013). T. u. crassirostris resulted to be the species with highest prevalence, with almost 80% of the birds positive for at least one parasite. Considering the current conservation status of this last species in the Western Alps, these findings are quite worrisome. However, considering the unbalanced sample size for the different host species, and the very different environmental, climatic and human-related factors occurring through the Alps, these conclusions have to be carefully evaluated. A more uniform distribution of the sampling effort, by host and by province, would help to better understand the role of each Galliformes species in the epidemiology of the parasite community. Parasites were mostly reported in the small intestine, confirming also in this case the findings of previous works (Viganò et al., 2012a,b; Formenti et al., 2013; Fanelli et al. 2020a;). Finally, the geographic distribution of the parasite prevalence highlighted the presence of cluster, with most of the cases reported in the central and western part of the study area. The presence of geographic gradient in parasite distribution is in line with the data reported by Fanelli et al. (2020a).  The spatial variation of parasitism degree might reflect the influence of different factors like the sanitary management and sanitary status of game birds released in the different provinces, or the influence of environmental conditions. In particular, some studies highlighted that geographic variation in parasite distribution can be seen as a proxy for of the climatic and environmental conditions required for Grouse News 59 Newsletter of the Grouse Group 19 the development of free-living stages of nematodes (Fanelli et al., 2020a, 2020b; Sanchis-Monsonís et al., 2019). Further study should be carried out to better explore the sanitary status of Alpine Galliformes, focusing not only on parasites but also on other diseases that may impact the population dynamics. A better understanding of the health status of these species should be achieved to improve any future management and conservation actions for Alpine Galliformes. References Brichetti P., De Franceschi P., Bacetti N. (eds.), 1992 – Fauna d’Italia. XXIX. Aves. I, Gavidaee-Phasianidae. Edizioni Calderini, Bologna, pp. 964 + XXVII. European Parliament and European Council (2009) Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds. EUR-Lex. Euzeby, J. (1981). Diagnostic expérimental des helminthoses animales : animaux domestiques, animaux de laboratoire, primates ; travaux pratiques d'helminthologie vétérinaire : livre 1 généralités, diagnostic ante-mortem. Paris, France, Informations techniques des services vétérinaires, 349 p. Euzeby, J. (1982). Diagnostic expérimental des helminthoses animales.Diagnostic direct post mortem, diagnostic indirect (diagnostic biologique), livre 2e. Paris, France, Informations techniques des services vétérinaires, 364 p. Fanelli, A., Menardi, G., Chiodo, M., Giordano, O., Ficetto, G., Bessone, M., Lasagna, A., Carpignano, M. G., Molinar, M. A., Gugiatti, A., Meneguz, P. G., Tizzani, P. (2020a). Gastroenteric parasiteof wild Galliformes in the Italian Alps: Implication for conservation management. Parasitology,1–7.Fanelli, A., Tizzani, P., Belleau, E. (2020b). Gastrointestinal parasite infestation in the Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in the French Alps and French Pyrenees based on long-term sampling (1987-2018). Parasitology, 1-21. doi:10.1017/S0031182020000517.  Florio, F., Gamba, M. (1993) Parassitofauna dei galliformi di montagna sull’arco alpino italiano. Università degli studi di Torino. These Formenti, N., Viganò, R., Rotelli, L., Ferrari, N., Cerutti, M.C., Lanfranchi, P. (2013) Effect of suboptimal environment and host age on helminth community of black grouse (Tetrao tetrix). European Journal of Wildlife Research 59: 351–358. MAFF (1986). ‘Manual of Veterinary Parasitological Laboratory Techniques’. (Her Majesty’s Stationary Office: London, UK.) Sanchis-Monsonís, G., Fanelli, A., Tizzani, P., Martínez-Carrasco, C. (2019). First epidemiological data on Spirocerca vulpis in the red fox: A parasite of clustered geographical distribution. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports 18, 100338 Skrjabin, K.I. (1954) Trichostrongylids of Animals and Man. Essentials of Nematodology. Volume III - Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Storch, I. (2007). Conservation status of grouse worldwide: an update. Wildlife Biology, 13(supplement 1), 5-12. Viganò, R., Formenti, N., Ferrari, N., Cerruti, M.C., Lanfranchi, P. (2012a) Analisi parassitologiche sul Fagiano di monte (Tetrao tetrix). Progetto n. 88 ALCOTRA 2007 - 2013 GALLIFORMI ALPINI Monitoraggio delle popolazioni di galliformi alpini per la programmazione di interventi di miglioramento ambientale; relazione analisi parassitologiche stagioni venatorie 2012/2013 e 2013/2014. Final report. Viganò, R., Formenti, N., Ferrari, N., Cerruti, M.C., Lanfranchi, P. (2012b) Analisi parassitologiche sulla Coturnice alpina (Alectoris graeca saxatilis). Progetto n. 88 ALCOTRA 2007 - 2013 GALLIFORMI ALPINI Monitoraggio delle popolazioni di galliformi alpini per la programmazione di interventi di miglioramento ambientale; relazione analisi parassitologiche stagioni venatorie 2012/2013 e 2013/2014. Final report. Viganò, R., Giacomelli, S. (2014). Relazione analisi parassitologiche stagioni venatorie 2012/2013 e 2013/2014. Monitoraggio delle popolazioni di galliformi alpini per la programmazione di interventi di miglioramento ambientale. Final report. Tizzani P.¹, Fanelli A.¹, Chiodo E.¹, Menardi G.¹, Giordano O.², Ficetto G.², Bessone M.¹, Lasagna A.¹, Carpignano M.G.3, Molinar Min A.¹, Peano A.¹, Rossi L.¹, Belleau E.4, Meneguz P.G¹. ¹ Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin  ² Comprensorio Alpino CN2 “Valle Varaita”  3 Comprensorio Alpino CN3 “Valli Maira e Grana” 4 Groupement de Défense Sanitaire (GDS) des Alpes de Haute Provence paolo.tizzani207@gmail.com, angela.fanelli@unito.it, 

Description of the parasitic community of mountain Galliformes in the Italian Alps. A large scale and long-term monitoring.

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Description of the parasitic community of mountain Galliformes in the Italian Alps. A large scale and long-term monitoring.

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