Metadata and sampling record of Eurasian Jays from Hesse, Germany 2020/21

Eurasian Jays Garrulus glandarius (Corvidae, n = 16) were trapped in Caldern, Hesse, Central Germany in the years 2020 and 2021 to check for the presence of haemosporidian parasites. For this we collected metadata (e.g. collection date, sex, measurements) as well as feather, faeces and blood samples for subsequent analysis of haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon). All individuals were infected with at least one haemosporidian genus. The most common infection pattern was a mixed infection with Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, whereas no Plasmodium infection was detected in any of the samples of the Jays.