Bird louse 2328412 172780319 2007-11-20T21:32:52Z Pegship 355698 stub sort '''Bird louse''' refers to any [[chewing louse]] ([[paraphyletic]] suborder Mallophaga) which [[parasite|parasitizes]] [[bird]]s. Recent reclassification has found that bird lice belong to two suborders, [[Amblycera]] and [[Ischnocera]], although some members of these suborders do not parasitize birds and are therefore not bird lice. Bird lice may feed on [[feather]]s, [[skin]], or [[blood]], but usually do not cause much harm to a bird unless it is unusually infested. It is believed that all bird species have lice at least occasionally; some species are remarkably free of [[ectoparasite]]s{{Fact|date=February 2007}} while others have been observed to utilize plants with known [[insecticide|insecticidal]] properties{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. ==References== *[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9015351?query=Bird%20Louse&ct= "Bird louse"]. [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]. Retrieved July 28, 2005. [[Category:Lice]] [[Category:Bird diseases]] {{insect-stub}}