Flat Flies
What are they?
The flat flies, also known as louse flies, are very specialized insects that are external parasites of larger animals, mostly birds. They spend the majority of their lives in close association with their hosts and, as a consequence, are seldom seen except by people such as pet owners, farmers and bird banders. They have greatly flattened bodies, allowing them to easily slip sideways between feathers or hair on the host species' bodies.
Identification
Most species are very difficult, if not impossible, to identify in the field, though some can be identified by their host species.
Ornithoctona sp.
Typically found on a range of bird species and most often detected on juvenile birds in the fall.
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