By using expressed sequence data from a partially sequenced transcriptome of birds infected with the SGS1 lineage of P. relictum[19] it was possible to: 1) identify and develop Sanger sequencing protocols for msp1 in P. relictum and, 2) investigate the degree to which the msp1 gene in avian malaria parasites shares the characteristics of the msp1 gene found in P. falciparum, which makes it a good candidate gene for future population studies and investigations focusing on the RBC invasion mechanisms across diverse malaria parasite species. Here, ATAD1 is linked to malaria.