| Summary: | <i>Physaloptera</i> spp. are parasitic nematodes that infect the gastrointestinal tracts of many carnivores and omnivores. Although they are distributed worldwide, <i>Physaloptera</i> spp. have not been studied in raptors in Portugal. In this study, we report <i>Physaloptera alata</i> in a booted eagle (<i>Aquila pennata</i>) in Portugal. Adult nematodes were discovered in the gizzard of a young booted eagle, and morphological features were consistent with those of the genus <i>Physaloptera</i>. DNA was extracted and a PCR assay performed to amplify a region of the 18S small subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. The resulting PCR products were Sanger-sequenced, and comparison with the available sequences in the GenBank database confirmed the initial morphological classification as <i>Physaloptera</i> sp. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the sequence within the <i>Physaloptera</i> group. The presence of this parasite in raptors from Portugal is of particular importance to wildlife rehabilitation centers, disease ecologists, and wildlife professionals. Furthermore, we produced a new genetic sequence and have added it to the GenBank database of parasites in birds of prey.
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