Vol. 9, Special Issue 1 (2024)

Author(s): Akash Bairwa

Abstract: India is home to a rich variety of plant and animal life, featuring three major biodiversity hotspots: The Western Ghats, Himalaya, and Indo-Burma. Within 104 national parks and 566 wildlife sanctuaries, covering nearly 160,000 square kilometers, various vulnerable species like the Royal Bengal Tiger, one-horned rhino, and elephant find sanctuary. Between June 2021 and September 2021, the study involved the collection of fecal samples from the forests near Kota City in Rajasthan. These selected sites represent the longstanding or permanent habitats of birds, hosting significant bird populations throughout the various seasons each year. These locations are referred as Location R, S, T, U, V, and W. In the current study, 200 faecal samples were collected from wild birds from three different forest sites. This technique was applied to positive samples using either the Direct method (Soulsby, 1982) or the Centrifugal sedimentation technique (Soulsby, 1982), as well as the Floatation technique (Soulsby, 1982), and McMaster’s egg counting technique (Soulsby, 1982). The Prevalence of Ascaridia sp., Capillaria sp., Heterakis sp., Raillietina sp., and Hymenolepis Sp. was found 5%, 5.5%, 2.5%, 1%, and 1% respectively, The Study reveal highest occurrence of Capillaria sp. and least occurrence of Raillietina sp. and Hymenolepis sp. A total of 10 birds were submitted to a postmortem examination. 2 (20%) of the birds tested positive for Capillaria sp and Heterekis sp. gastrointestinal parasites. The lowest egg count of 100 EPG was found in a faeces sample of a Lapwing and Indian peafowl from Location R and W, while the maximum value of 800 EPG was found in a Laughing Dove.