More than twenty-five thousand species of mites afflict the world’s birds. Some live in the air sacs of canaries, looking like specks of pepper. Others burrow inside the faces and legs of parrots. Chiggers, which also plague humans, beset turkeys and chickens. With piercing mouthparts like those of their relatives, the ticks, the mites feed on the host bird’s blood. They itch, wreck sleep, and can cause feather damage as the bird desperately scratches to relieve the itching. Severely infested birds can develop sores, lose weight, and die from anemia.
