Birds as a living environment for parasitic arthropods

Birds are living environment of several groups of parasitic arthropods representing insects and mites, which play in their life an important role as pathogenic species, vectors of serious pathogens, but could also have an influence on behaviour or various aspects of life and environmental adaptations, e.g. thermoregulation. Parasitic arthropods are characterized by a multitude of adaptation strategies enabling them to inhabit microhabitats of different host species – they could be temporary parasites, living in the vicinity or close to the host, even in bird nests, or stationary parasites living on the feathers, skin surface or inside the skin, and even in body cavity or internal organs. Among insects undoubtedly the most important are specific for birds chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera, Amblycera), fleas Siphonaptera, bugs Hemiptera, flies Diptera; mites associated with birds represent several families of the order Ixodida (Argasidae, Ixodidae), Mesostigmata (Dermanyssidae, Rhinonyssidae), Prostigmata (Harpyrhynchidae Syringophillidae,), Astigmata (Ascouracaridae, Cheylabididae, Cytoditidae, Dermoglyphidae, Epidermoptidae, Gabuciniidae, Knemidokoptidae, Kramerellidae Laminosioptidae, Psoroptoididae, Pterolichidae, Turbinoptidae, Xolalgidae).