Bird Lice

Features

• Bird mites (commonly referred to as lice) are small, oval-shaped parasites, with 8 legs (larvae have 6 legs).
• They are semi-transparent in colour, making them barely visible to the naked eye. After feeding on blood, they may appear reddish to blackish.
• Bird lice feed on the blood of common birds including pigeons, Indian mynas, starlings, sparrows, poultry and some wild birds.
• Infestation occurs when birds gain entry to roof cavities via broken tiles or through unprotected eaves, or from roosting on the outside of dwellings such as window ledges or awnings.
• Birds often construct their nests in the roofs of homes, factories and other dwellings. Thriving in the nesting material, bird lice feed on unfeathered nestlings and adult birds.

Life Cycles

Bird lice have a short life cycle of approximately 7 days, with the ability to rapidly generate large populations.
Lice lay their eggs on the host or in the nest. Eggs hatch within three days.
On birds, most of the breeding takes place in the nests. On poultry, the lice prefer the fluffy downy feathers and are numerous about the vent, accumulating on a few feathers. If the infested chicken is handled, the lice will move from chicken to human.