The Coccidia of Columbiformes
(doves, pigeons, sandgrouse)

Compiled by
Donald W. Duszynski1, Steve J. Upton2, and Lee Couch1

1Department of Biology, University of New Mexico
2Division of Biology, Kansas State University


Supported by NSF-PEET DEB 9521687

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Updated: 24 January 1999
Comments: eimeria@unm.edu (Duszynski)
or coccidia@ksu.edu (Upton)

The identifications and measurements of Eimeria spp. from Columba livia have repeatedly been confused over the years and the published descriptions unreliable. It is likely that only two species occur in pigeons, and it may even be eventually shown that only a single species occurs. The sizes of the oocysts overlap and the two species are morphologically very similar. Eimeria labbeana is considered the smaller of the two, has a polar granule but no oocyst residuum, and the sporocysts are smaller and have a small Stieda body. Eimeria columbarum has a small amount of residual debris within the oocysts and a slightly more distinct Stieda body. Perhaps the best published comparison of the two species is by Nieschulz (1925).


Eimeria columbae Mitra & Das Gupta, 1937

Host: Columba livia (Rock dove or domestic pigeon)
Reference: Mitra & Das Gupta 1937; Patnaik & Ray 1966

Eimeria columbarum Nieschulz, 1935

Synonym: Eimeria tropicalis Malhotra & Ray, 1961
Host: Columba livia (Rock dove or domestic pigeon)
References: Cotteleer & Fameree1978; Coussement et al. 1988; Frank 1978; Haas & Kosters 1987; Kulisic 1988, 1989a, 1989b; Malhotra & Ray 1961; Nieschulz 1935; Pande et al. 1970; van Reeth & Vercruysse 1993; Vanparijs et al.1988; Vercruysse 1990

Eimeria curvata Adriano, Thyssen, and Cordeiro, 2000

Hosts: Columbina talpacoti (Ruddy ground dove); Scardafella squammata (Scaly dove)
Reference: Adriano et al. 2000

Eimeria duculai Varghese 1980

Host: Ducula spilorrhoa (Nutmeg or Torres Strait pigeon)
Reference: Varghese 1980

Eimeria gourai Varghese, 1980

Host: Goura victoria (Victoria crowned pigeon)
Reference: Varghese 1980

Eimeria kapotei Chatterjee & Ray, 1969

Host: Columba livia (Rock dove or domestic pigeon)
Reference: Chatterjee & Ray 1969
The authors may be mistaken about the presence of a micropyle. If so, this would most likely represent E. labbeana.

Eimeria labbeana Labbe, 1896) Pinto, 1928

Synonym: Coccidium pfeifferi Labbe, 1896
Synonym: Eimeria choudari Bhatia, Chauhan, Arora, & Agrawal, 1972
Synonym: Eimeria pfeifferi (Labbe, 1896) Wasielewski, 1904, nomen preocc.
non Eimeria pfeifferi Labbe, 1896 from Geophilus ferruginosus
Hosts: Columba livia (Rock dove or domestic pigeon); Streptopelia decaocto (Collared dove);
S. orientalis (Rufous turtle dove); S. senegalensis (Laughing dove)
References: Abdel-Ghaffar et al. 1985, 1986a, 1986b, 1990a, 1990b; Bashtar et al. 1991a, 1991b; Bhatia et al. 1972; Chakravarty & Kar 1944; Cotteleer & Fameree1978; Coussement et al. 1988; Duncan 1957a, 1957b, 1958, 1959a, 1959b; Fantham 1910; Feng & Liu 1987; Haas & Kosters 1987; Hunt & O'Grady 1976; Labbe 1896; Lavier & Bondois 1937; Martinez-Moreno et al. 1989; Marzouk et al.1989; Morini 1950; Nieschulz 1921, 1925, 1935; Pereira & de Sousa 1942; Pinto 1928, 1930; Quevedo & Arcay-de-Peraza 1980; Schneider et al. 1972; van Reeth & Vercruysse 1993; Sousa 1942; Srivastava 1966, 1967a, 1967b; Vanparijs et al. 1988; Varghese 1975,a, 1975b, 1976a, 1976b, 1977; Vercruysse 1990; Verwey 1927; Wasielewski 1904; Yakimoff 1931; Yakimoff & Iwanoff-Gobzem 1931; Yakimoff & Timofeev 1939a, 1939b, 1940

Eimeria palumbi McQuistion, 1991

Host: Zenaida galapagoensis (Galapagos dove)
Reference: McQuistion 1991

Eimeria sp. of Conti & Forrester, 1981

Host: Zenaida asiatica (White-winged dove); Zenaida macroura (Mourning dove)
Reference: Conti & Forrester 1981

Eimeria sphenocercae Ray, 1952

Host: Treron sphenura (Kokla or Wedge-tailed green pigeon)
Reference: Ray 1952

Eimeria turturi Golemansky, 1976

Host: Streptopelia turtur (Turtle dove)
Reference: Golemansky 1976

Eimeria waiganiensis Varghese, 1978

Host: Chalcophaps indica (Emerald or Green- winged ground dove)
Reference: Varghese 1978a

Isospora gallicolumbae Varghese 1978

Host: Gallicolumba beccarii (Beccari's or Gray- breasted ground dove)
Reference: Varghese 1978b

Wenyonella columbae Haldar & Ray-Choudhury, 1974

Host: Columba livia (Rock dove or domestic pigeon)
Reference: Haldar & Ray-Choudhury 1974
Oocysts 23.8 x 23.0 (21-27 x 21-26); sporocysts 11.6 x 7.5 (10.5-12.8 x 6.4-8.6)
This is likely a misidentification of an eimerian.


Select references

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