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ABSTRACT Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle & Manceaux, 1908) is a highly prevalent zoonotic protozoan parasite found globally in various bird and mammal species, including humans. Migratory birds play an important epidemiological role by facilitating the spread of pathogens, including T. gondii, to new regions. Armenia is particularly significant in this context being located at the crossroads of three global migration flyways; however, research on T. gondii infection in wild birds in this region has not been previously conducted. This study marks the first molecular detection of active T. gondii infection in the blood of wild birds, assessing the prevalence associated with the risk factors such as age, sex, migratory status, and feeding habits of birds. Research was carried out in the Megri Region of Syunik Province in 2013, 2014, and 2018 in the breeding season. The presence of parasite in 116 Passerines was determined using PCR with specific primers derived from the RE gene with mean prevalence of T. gondii in 12%. The highest infection rates were observed in Upcher’s Warbler, Hippolais languida (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833), at 36% (4 out of 11), Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Oenanthe melanoleuca (Guldenstadt, 1775), at 33% (2 out of 6), and Eastern Orphean Warbler, Curruca crassirostris (Bates, 1936), at 19% (5 out of 27). Long-distance migrants exhibited a higher frequency of T. gondii occurrence compared to resident birds (χ2 = 7.11, DF = 2, p = 0.029). The infection rates did not show a dependence on the sex or age of the birds. The relationship between infection and feeding behavior in local toxoplasmosis distribution remains unclear, necessitating further research with new methodologies, additional animal species, broader geographic coverage, and larger sample sizes.

The Three-Toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus is a rare and endangered woodpecker on the Balkan Peninsula. Despite being widely distributed in Northern Europe, its distribution on the Balkan Peninsula is limited to high-altitude forest habitats, where it represents a glacial relict. Assessing the climate change impacts on its distribution can be crucial for improving the conservation and future survival of this specialist species on the Balkan Peninsula. We used species distribution modelling (SDM) to identify its potential distribution in the past (last interglacial and last glacial maximum), present, and future (2050 and 2070). Our results indicate that this species had the greatest distribution during the last glacial maximum, after which its distribution contracted to areas where suitable environment persisted (high altitudes). The largest territory of the Balkan Peninsula has an unsuitable environment for the species to inhabit, while highly suitable habitats have the smallest share in the total area of suitable habitats. All future models show a decrease in the area of suitable habitats compared with the current period, indicating that global warming has a negative effect on the distribution of the species. We recommend that conservation activities must be of greater extent to ensure the species’ survival in the Balkans.