Mite infestation can afflict all types of birds.
If you own birds, or are considering getting one as a pet sometime in the future, it is important to be aware of the potential health risks that might afflict your pet. One of the most pervasive and irritating infections that can occur with any avian species is mites. Related to both spiders and ticks, mites spread through body contact between birds, and can cause severe infestation and feather damage. It is important to deal with mites as soon as possible because they can transfer for humans and the house in general, causing widespread irritation.
Instructions
check for potential bird mite infestation
1. Keep yourself from becoming contaminated. Bird mites can spread to humans and to the house, and serious infestations can cause anemia in people and pets. Wear latex gloves to help prevent the transfer of mites from your bird to yourself.
2. Observe your bird's general behavior. If your normally calm and collected pet is increasingly restless, this can be a significant indicator of mite infestation. This is not to be confused with a bird's normal activity of studying its environment or playing within its cage. However, if your bird has difficulty sleeping, is constantly shuffling or hopping around, fluttering its wings incessantly, and so forth, this excessive movement can suggest the presence of mites.
3. Inspect your bird's plumage. Serious cases of bird mite infestation can be indicated by increased feather damage. This is different from normal molting because feathers end up looking ragged, torn, spotted, and patchy. This can be caused by excessive preening as a bird attempts to remove an unseen irritation from its body.
4. Examine the bird's skin. Mites feed on the bird's blood, and their bites can leave behind patches of red spots which should be visible to the naked eye. Check the skin around the beak and on the legs for red bumps. Chiggers are the immature stage of the mites, and their presence on a bird can also cause red, scabby lesions under the wings and on the thighs and breasts.
5. Check the bird's respiratory passage. Air sac mites are a particular type of mite that take up residence in a bird's nasal cavities and trachea. One symptom of this would be the bird having difficulty breathing. If you shine a bright, focused light down the bird's throat, these mites will look like grains of pepper along the back of its throat.
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