Quantitative morphology and parasitological profile of speckled pigeons (Columba guinea, Hartlaub and Finsch 1890) captured in University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Speckled pigeons are a widely distributed species that have adapted to urban and human-dominated environments. This study investigated the morphometric traits and parasitological profiles of speckled pigeons adapted to urban conditions at the University of Ibadan. Twenty birds (12 females, 8 males) were captured using mist nets, and their body measurements and ecto- and endo-parasites were assessed using standard parasitological techniques. Data collected were subjected to descriptive (mean, standard deviation, frequency) and inferential (t-test) statistics using SPSS (version 21) at α0.05 . All sampled birds harboured one or more parasites. The mean values of the quantitative morphological characteristics of the sampled birds were: head length (5.53±0.21 cm), bill length (2.49±0.07 cm), tail length (13.06±0.65 cm), wing length (22.48±0.93 cm), body length (33.64±1.56 cm), live weight (249.30±20.89 g), and tarsus length (3.33±0.18 cm). No significant sex-based differences (p-value<0.05) were found in the morphometric data. Bovicola sp. (50%) and Haemoproteus sp. (45%) were the most common ecto- and haemoparasites, respectively, whereas Raillietina sp. (55%) and Eimeria sp. (45%) were the dominant intestinal parasites. Balantidium coli was the most frequent in the faeces (60%). These findings underscore significant parasitic loads, raise concerns about zoonotic risks, and highlight the need for improved environmental surveillance and urban wildlife health management.