Ectoparasites (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae; Acari: Ixodidae) of Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor, and Whip-poor-will, Caprimulgus vociferus (Caprimulgiformes: Caprimulgidae), in Manitoba

Samples of 103 salvaged Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor (Forster)) and seven Whip–poor–wills (Caprimulgus vociferous Wilson) were examined for ectoparasites in Manitoba during 1992-2004. Two nighthawks were infested with the rabbit tick, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Packard), and 64 (62.1%) with the chewing louse, Mulcticola macrocephalus (Kellogg), at a mean intensity of 13.5. Louse infestation fits a negative binomial distribution (k=0.299; mean/variance ratio=18.5); females outnumbered males in the total sample, males:females=0.66. Prevalence of infestation was lower in adult birds examined during May and June (37.5%; n=16) than in mixed–age birds examined from 31 July to December (64.7%; n=85), though mean intensity was similar (17.7 versus 13.6, respectively). Two of seven Whip–poor–wills were infested with an undescribed Mulcticola sp.