| Summary: | Haemosporidians are a group of vector-borne parasites belonging to the order Haemosporida. These parasites infect avian hosts and require blood-sucking insects (Diptera) for transmission. The occurrence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites are shaped primarily by the specificity of the parasite and the susceptibility of the host/vector. In this study, the presence and distribution of haemosporidians in blood samples from birds in urbanized and natural habitats were estimated using microscopic and molecular approaches. Birds in urbanized habitats were infected with four different species of <i>Plasmodium</i>, <i>P. relictum</i>, <i>P</i>. <i>vaughani</i>, <i>P. matutinum</i>, and <i>P. circumflexum</i>, and one species of <i>Haemoproteus</i>, <i>H. parabelopolskyi</i>, and <i>Leucocytozoon</i> sp. The species <i>H. attenuatus</i>, <i>H. concavocentralis</i>, <i>H. minutus</i>, <i>H. pallidus</i>, <i>H. noctuae,</i> and <i>H. tartakovskyi</i> were additionally identified in birds in natural habitats. Typically, juvenile birds are essential markers of parasite species transmitted in the study area. The juveniles in the urbanized habitats carried <i>P</i>. <i>relictum</i>, <i>P</i>. <i>vaughani</i>, <i>P</i>. <i>circumflexum</i>, <i>H</i>. <i>parabelopolskyi</i>, and <i>Leucocytozoon</i> species. The most abundant parasite was <i>H</i>. <i>parabelopolskyi</i>, which was found in both habitat types. The prevalence of <i>Haemoproteus</i>/<i>Plasmodium</i> species determined by nested PCR in birds in natural habitats (43.80%; 53/121) was significantly greater than that in birds in urbanized habitats (21.94%; 43/196) (<i>p</i> < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the infection rate of <i>Leucocytozoon</i> sp. between the habitat types (<i>p</i> > 0.05; 10/121 vs. 19/196).
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