Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) on a wild Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and a zoo-kept Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Tyrol, Austria

Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) are obligate and permanent ectoparasites commonly found on birds. The life cycle of these insects is completed on the body of the host and therefore many are host specific. This is the first report of chewing lice on a wild Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and a zoo-kept Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Tyrol, Austria. Three different species of chewing lice were identified: Craspedorrhynchus aquilinus was found on Aquila chrysaetos and Colpocephalum turbinatum and Falcolipeurus quadripustulatus were found on Gyps fulvus. The lice were identified morphologically and by barcoding. Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) of eagles, vultures, and other Accipitriformes are understudied, and further research is needed.

Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle
Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit
University of Veterinary Sciences Brno
National University of Life & Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
University of Bern