Avian Haemosporidian Diversity on Sardinia: A First General Assessment for the Insular Mediterranean

The Western Palearctic is one of the most investigated regions for avian haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon), yet geographic gaps in our regional knowledge remain. Here, we report first screening breeding birds from Sardinia (the second-largest Mediterranean Island a biodiversity hotspot), insular general. We examined occurrence haemosporidians by amplifying their mtDNA cytb gene 217 birds, belonging to 32 species. total prevalence infected was 55.3%, 116 haplotypes recovered, 84 were novel. Despite high number novel lineages, phylogenetic analysis did not highlight Sardinia-specific clades; instead, some Sardinian lineages more closely related previously recovered continental Europe. Host-parasite network indicated specialized host-parasite community. Binomial generalized linear models (GLMs), performed at community level, suggested an elevational effect on probability (negative Haemoproteus; positive Leucocytozoon) likely due differences abundance insect vectors different elevations. Furthermore, GLM revealed that sedentary showed higher being long-distance migrants lower haplotype infection. hypothesize diversity linked isolation bird populations Sardinia. This study adds growing lineage distribution environments presents new insights potential associations.