The Prevalence and Intensity of Parasites in Dabbling versus Diving Ducks
Abstract
Ducks (Anatidae) are a common semi-aquatic bird throughout most of America. With ducks’ eating habits, they are often targets for a range of internal and external parasites. There are two main types of ducks often differentiated by their eating habits: dabblers and divers. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence and intensity of parasites found in dabbling vs diving ducks. The ducks in this study were legally harvested and donated by hunters from various counties in Wisconsin. There was a total of 163 ducks analyzed in this study using necropsy to extract both internal and external parasites. Further research is being performed to conclusively identify parasites from these ducks and to use that data to determine if there is a difference in parasite activity between dabblers and divers.
College
College of Science & Engineering
Department
Biology
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Kimberly Bates
Location
Ballroom - Kryzsko Commons
Start Date
4-18-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-18-2024 10:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1a=9am-10am
Poster Number
19
The Prevalence and Intensity of Parasites in Dabbling versus Diving Ducks
Ballroom - Kryzsko Commons
Ducks (Anatidae) are a common semi-aquatic bird throughout most of America. With ducks’ eating habits, they are often targets for a range of internal and external parasites. There are two main types of ducks often differentiated by their eating habits: dabblers and divers. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence and intensity of parasites found in dabbling vs diving ducks. The ducks in this study were legally harvested and donated by hunters from various counties in Wisconsin. There was a total of 163 ducks analyzed in this study using necropsy to extract both internal and external parasites. Further research is being performed to conclusively identify parasites from these ducks and to use that data to determine if there is a difference in parasite activity between dabblers and divers.
