FlyTracker English

Philornis is a genus of parasitic flies that infest birds across the neotropics. Many Philornis are avian parasites. Larval flies feed on blood and most burrow into the host skin. Philornis primarily infest nestlings or breeding adults. Philornis can cause high nestling mortality and has been implicated in the decline of several threatened species. Common species are also infested with Philornis and may act as reservoirs that support large numbers of parasitic flies, ultimately transmitting flies to threatened and more vulnerable species of birds. Documenting the host use and prevalence of Philornis flies in birds is an essential step toward understanding the ecology of these parasites. Thank you for reporting a Philornis infestation.

FlyTracker is a reporting initiative by the Clayton-Bush lab at the University of Utah.