First Report of Capillaria contorta in the Crop of a Wild Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus): A Case Report

Document Type : Case Report

Authors

1 Department of Avian Health and Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 SANA Institute for Avian Health and Diseases, Tehran, Iran

3 Member of Poultry Health and Diseases Association (PHDA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

4 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran

5 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.32598/ijvm.20.3.1006014

Abstract

Capillaria contorta is a capillariid nematode of the upper digestive tract of wild and domestic birds, but reports in raptors, particularly the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), are scarce. On December 2024, an adult male Eurasian sparrowhawk was presented to the Clinic in poor condition, with traumatic rupture of the esophagus and crop sustained during prey consumption. Despite emergency supportive care, the bird died shortly after admission and a complete necropsy was performed. Segments of the digestive tract were collected for parasitological examination. These were processed using standard methods including fixation, graded ethanol dehydration, clearing in lactophenol, and permanent mounting. Examination was performed using stereomicroscopy and light microscopy. A single elongated nematode with a stichosome esophagus was recovered from the crop and identified morphologically as C. contorta based on adult body and spicule measurements and the presence of characteristic lemon-shaped eggs with bipolar plugs. No gross lesions attributable to parasitism were observed in the upper digestive tract. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of C. contorta from the crop of a Eurasian sparrowhawk, and illustrates that capillariid infections in raptors may be subclinical and easily overlooked. Routine parasitological examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract is recommended in necropsy and clinical evaluations of birds of prey to better define the prevalence and clinical relevance of Capillaria infections.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine
Volume 20, Issue 3
May and June 2026
Pages 633-638

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