Blue-black grassquit (Volatina jacarina) leucocyte and average weight reference values

The bird species Volatina jacarina is popularly known as blue-black grassquit. They are widely distributed geographically and are not considered threatened for extinction. They are popularly domesticated because of their pleasant singing they can be found in many households. That means Veterinarians are sometimes confronted with those animals. This requires a certain knowledge about these birds, including in terms of reference values. Due to the lack of hematological data for this species, the present study aimed to calculate reference values for leukocytes and mean weight for this bird. To this end, 13 blue-black grassquit were captured at a private ranch located in Guarapari (ES), Southeastern Brazil. The birds were weighed for the determination of their average weight. Moreover, blood samples were drawn in order to conduct a leukocyte count. The mean weight found for V. jacarina was 11.7 ± 3.2 g. The average values determined for leukocytes were 53.8 ± 14.6% lymphocytes, 45.1 ± 15.2% for heterophils and 1.2 ± 1.5 for monocytes. The data found was compared with those in the literature, thus contributing to a better knowledge of the species.