FORMATION FEATURES OF THE FAUNA BIODIVERSITY IN ECTO- AND ENDOPARASITES OF WATERFOWL IN THE KURSK REGION

Waterfowl are a very common ecological bird group including up to 30% of the species composition, and sometimes up to 40% of the total number of all birds in the ornithocomplex. Thirty five to forty waterfowl species are found in the Kursk Region taking into account birds of passage. The most numerous are mallards, European teals, wigeons, northern shovelers, pintails, golden-eyes, and common pochards. The biological diversity of endoparasites can have various effects on the vital activity of waterfowl. For some species, helminthiasis leads to inhibition of vital processes, and for others, infection can lead to death. The results of helminthological studies of waterfowl identified 6 nematode species, 10 trematode species and 3 cestode species. Among the ectoparasites found in wild and domestic birds, the leading species in terms of diversity and wideness of distribution were biting lice, 6 species; gamasid mites, 2 species; and fleas, 1 species. The occurrence and spread of various helminth infections among waterfowl are influenced by such factors as the type of terrain, the presence or absence of a reservoir, the host biology and the nature of its nutrition. The flights and seasonal migrations of wild birds lead to the emergence of new foci of parasitic diseases in domestic and wild waterfowl.