Een Sperwer Accipiter nisus met meerdere ziektes onder de leden

Autopsy of an emaciated adult female Sparrowhawk, found dead mid-April 2023 near Nijmegen, revealed infections caused by the parasites Eucoleus dispar and Trichomonas sp., and – probably as a result of these infections – a bacterial infection as well. The gastro-intestinal bleeding was probably related to inflammation and closing of the trachea, causing problems with food intake. The skeleton was poorly mineralized, which might have been related to shortage of amino acids in prey species (a well-known problem on poorly buffered sandy soils in The Netherlands). The bird was also infected with the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian virus.