Composition and Distribution on a Host of Avian Lice of White Storks in North-Eastern Algeria

The diversity and spatial distribution of ectoparasites a large colony white stork Ciconia ciconia at Dréan, in north-eastern Algeria, were investigated during two consecutive breeding seasons. results indicated that nestlings infested by the following four louse species: Colpocephalum zebra (Burmeister, 1838), Neophilopterus incompletus (Denny, 1842), Ardeicola ciconiae (Linnaeus, 1758), Ciconiphilus quadripustulatus 1838). Overall, chewing lice exhibited clustered distribution, with C. being most frequent species, prevalence 39.6% 41.0% 2011 2012, respectively. Our also suggested niche partitioning among species within host’s body parts. A generalized additive model size, sex, year influenced abundance ectoparasites; increased size host was greater females, as well first study. Further studies are needed to explore spatio-temporal variability storks’ infestations.