Ortiz-Catedral, LWallace, Connor J.Heinsohn, RobertKrebs, Elizabeth A.Langmore, NaomiVukelic, DusanBucher, Enrique H.Varsani, ArvindMasello, Juan F.2023-06-082023-06-081424-2818http://hdl.handle.net/1885/293405The beak and feather disease virus (family Circovirdae) is a virus of concern in the conservation of wild Psittaciformes globally. We conducted a PCR screening for the beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) using samples collected during previous field studies (1993–2014) in five populations of parrots of the Southern Hemisphere: Eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus) and Crimson rosellas (Platycercus elegans) from Australia, Burrowing parrots (Cyanoliseus patagonus) and Monk parakeets from Argentina (Myiopsitta monachus), and Forbes’ parakeet from New Zealand (Cyanoramphus forbesi). A total of 612 samples were screened. BFDV was not detected in any of the sampled birds. Our results provide a retrospective screening, covering three different tribes of Old and New World parrots, including two of the most numerous species, and contributing a large set of negative results. Furthermore, our results suggest that geographical and temporal differences in BFDV distribution may exist and merit further research, as a critical component in the efforts to manage the disease and its epidemiological aspects. The results presented here hold the potential to provide a baseline for future studies investigating the temporal evolution and the spread of BFDV.Funding for data analysis and manuscript preparation was provided by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT), Claude McCarthy Fellowship, New Zealand Vice-Chancellor’s Committee and Mohamed bin Zayed Conservation Trust (to L.O.-C.). The Eclectus parrot research was funded by the Australian Research Council, National Geographic Society and Winifred Violet Scott Foundation. The molecular analyses were supported by an Early career grant (University of Canterbury) awarded to A.V. J.F.M. research was supported by the City Council of Viedma (Río Negro, Argentina), World Parrot Trust, Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation, and Wildlife Conservation Society. E.H.B. research was partially funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, International Affairs division, and a co-operation grant between the IB of the BMBF of Germany (ARG 99/020) and the Argentinean SECyT (AL/A99-EXIII/003).application/pdfen-AU© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BFDVCircoviridaeinfectious diseasePsittaciformessurveillanceviral infectionvulnerable taxawild populations202210.3390/d140201482022-03-27Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license