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Four Trematode Species Found in One Red-crested Pochard, Two New for Türkiye

Red-crested pochards taking flight over water
Research · Disease, parasites & microbiology

A parasitological survey of wild aquatic birds from the Kızılırmak Delta in Türkiye found four species of notocotylid trematodes—parasitic flatworms—in the single red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) examined. Two of them — Paramonostomum bucephalae and P. pseudoalveatum — had not previously been recorded in Türkiye.

The study examined 57 birds representing 21 species. Notocotylid trematodes were found in only three host species: common pochard (Aythya ferina), red-crested pochard and water rail (Rallus aquaticus). Across those three hosts, the researchers recovered 56 trematodes belonging to six species.

Four parasite species in one red-crested pochard

The red-crested pochard contained 14 trematodes: four Notocotylus attenuatus, four Paramonostomum alveatum, three P. bucephalae and three P. pseudoalveatum. The parasites were identified by examining their shape and measuring diagnostic body structures, then photographed and illustrated.

Because only one red-crested pochard was examined, the study cannot show how common these infections are in the species. It does, however, document which notocotylids were present in that bird and extends the known national distribution of two parasite species.

The wider survey added four species to Türkiye’s records

Across all three infected bird species, the study reported four notocotylids for the first time in Türkiye: Notocotylus skrjabini, Paramonostomum alveoelongatum, P. bucephalae and P. pseudoalveatum. Notocotylids commonly use aquatic snails as intermediate hosts. Birds can become infected by eating infected snails or larval stages attached to aquatic vegetation, making wetlands such as the Kızılırmak Delta suitable settings for the life cycle.

The authors conclude that the known diversity of this parasite family in Türkiye has been underestimated and that further surveys are needed to clarify its distribution among wetland birds.

Sources and image credit

  1. Öztürk, M., & Umur, Ş. (2026). Notocotylid Trematodes of Wild Birds in Türkiye: A Morphological Study With New Country Records. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 12(4), e70994.

Image: Imran Shah / Wikimedia Commons — living red-crested pochards; representative species image · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source

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