Bird Louse / Chewing Louse

Exclusively found on the bodies of host animals, primarily birds and occasionally mammals.

They feed on feathers, skin debris, hair, and occasionally blood or body secretions of their host.

They are permanent ectoparasites, spending their entire life cycle on a single host. They attach their eggs (nits) to feathers or fur and move by crawling; they cannot fly or jump.

While they do not typically transmit diseases to humans, they can cause severe irritation, feather damage, and anemia in host animals. They offer no known benefits to the ecosystem.