Abstract The genus Anaplasma ( R ickettsiales: A naplasmataceae) includes species of medical and veterinary importance. The presence of Anaplasma spp. in ticks from birds, as well as in Haemaphysalis punctata ( I xodida: I xodidae) specimens collected from cattle and vegetation in northern S pain was investigated. A total of 336 ticks from birds [174 Ixodes frontalis ( I xodida: I xodidae), 108 H. punctata , 34 Hyalomma marginatum ( I xodida: I xodidae), 17 Ixodes ricinus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) and three Ixodes spp.], and 181 H. punctata specimens collected from cattle ( n = 71) and vegetation ( n = 110) were analysed. Anaplasma bovis was detected in five H. punctata , including two from birds (1.9%) and three from vegetation (2.7%). Four I. frontalis (2.3%) (one co‐infected with ‘ Candidatus M idichloria mitochondrii’) and one I. ricinus (5.9%) removed from birds, as well as four H. punctata (5.6%) collected from cattle showed Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection. In addition, Anaplasma centrale was found in two H. punctata , one from a cow (1.4%) and the other from vegetation (0.9%). This study represents the first evidence of the presence of A. bovis in E uropean ticks, and reports the first detection of A. bovis and A. centrale in H. punctata , and the first finding of A. phagocytophilum and ‘ Ca. M idichloria mitochondrii’ in I. frontalis .