Hepatic coccidiosis (Eimeria sp) in a wild magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca).

Marked distension of the bile ducts was associated with various stages of a protozoan life-cycle which were identified as schizogony and gametogony. The bile ducts contained oocysts some of which were sporulated and had four sporocysts, each with two sporozoites, thus conforming to the genus Eimeria. This is the first report of a coccidian parasite in the bile duct epithelial cells of birds. It is proposed that this coccidia be named Eimeria grallinida ns.