Data obtained from wildlife rescue centres are a useful means of understanding threats posed to wild animal populations. Aims of the present study were to investigate the causes of admission and outcomes of Long-eared Owls ( Asio otus) hospitalised in rescue centres in Italy. Data were collected from 13 centres form January 2010 to October 2014 using a web form. The following variables were considered: estimated age at admission; date of admission; habitat at finding location; main cause of admission; and outcome. Major causes of admissions were related to human activities, mainly consisting of collision trauma and collection of uninjured fledglings. Despite nocturnal habits of owls and their protection status, according to European Union Directive 2009/147/ CE and to national Italian laws, gunshot wounds were also represented as an admission cause in adult animals. Overall mortality rate was 47.3%. Considering age classes, the majority of adult animals died while the majority of pulli survived and were later released. Both collisions and gunshot wounds contributed to the higher mortality in adult animals. We suggest that anatomopathological and toxicological investigation of dead casualties, along with post release monitoring of rehabilitated owls, would contribute to a better understanding of mortality causes and to the implementation of more successful rehabilitation techniques.

The knowledge of raptor pathogens and associated lesions may be extremely important to enhancing raptor conservation efforts and reducing pathogen spillover to humans and domesticated animals and vice versa. Parasite infections of the digestive system and associated bacteria and pathological changes were evaluated in deceased diurnal and nocturnal raptors in central Italy. Overall, the prevalence of parasites (nematodes, cestodes, trematodes, acanthocephalans, and protozoa) identified in the examined birds was 72.41%, and most of the positive raptors (71.42%) showed multiple parasite infections. Among bacteria, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enterica subspecies diarizonae, Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Pasteurella multocida were identified. The results obtained showed that both parasites and bacteria may cause severe lesions in the digestive system of diurnal and nocturnal raptors; parasites and bacteria may concur in causing these lesions; most severe lesions are caused by the interaction of multiple pathogens, both parasites and bacteria; and the same pathogen taxa are frequently associated with the same pathological changes. This study is the first report of S. typhimurium and S. enterica subspecies diarizonae in Buteo buteo, while Andracantha mergi, Spirocerca spp., Sarcocystis dispersa, Sarcocystis columbae, and Eumonospora spp. were recorded for the first time in Italy.

This study aims to assess the occurrence of external arthropods on deceased raptors in rescue centers in Tuscany, central Italy. The examined diurnal raptors include 17 common buzzards (Buteo buteo), two European honey buzzards (Pernis apivorus), seven sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), six common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus), a western osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Nocturnal raptors included seven barn owls (Tyto alba), ten tawny owls (Strix aluco), 22 little owls (Athene noctua) and two scops owls (Otus scops). The skin and the feathers of each animal were examined, and arthropods were collected, fixed, and microscopically identified. In 48 out of the 75 examined birds (64%), at least a single arthropod species was found. Identified arthropods included chewing lice (Degeeriella fulva, D. rufa, Colpocephalum turbinatum, C. apivorus, Nosopon lucidum, N. clayae, Craspedorrhyncus platystomus, Laemobothrion tinnunculi, Kurodaia subpachygaster, Strigiphilus cursitans), hippoboscid flies (Ornithomya avicularia), chigger and feather mites (Kramerella lunulata, K. lyra, Kramerella sp., Glaucalges attenuatus, Hieracolichus nisi, Hieracolichus sp., Neotrombicula autumnalis) and ticks (Haemaphysalis sp.). Most of the identified mite, fly and tick species are the first records in raptors in Italy. Moreover, this study presents the first record of Hieracolichus sp. and N. autumnalis mites in P. haliaetus and F. tinnunculus, respectively.