Morphological and molecular characterization of Sarcocystis cooperii n. sp. and related Sarcocystis species in three Colombian avian hosts

This study expands current knowledge of avian <i>Sarcocystis</i> diversity in the Neotropics, documenting <i>S. cooperii</i> n. sp. in <i>P. sulphuratus</i> and the first record of <i>Sarcocystis</i> sp. in two Cathartiformes species in Colombia. These findings underscore the ecological importance of synanthropic and scavenging birds in <i>Sarcocystis</i> transmission dynamics and highlight the need for further research on host-parasite relationships and potential conservation implications for endemic avifauna.