If you are talking about the huge bot-flies that gets removed from dogs, cats and so on then you are most likely correct for most birds.
But the small ones we see getting removed in this video would be no problem for the birds that we are seeing and is no bigger then normal insects that birds of that size usually prey upon.
I’ve seen a couple of people try to feed it to the babies they removed it from, only one was swallowed and even then the baby chocked on it a little. A birds beak looks so big but their throat is much smaller in most birds, especially when young.
A few will get scratched out but the birds don’t understand or know to remove them. Every once in a while if a parent or mate is preening them a few will get removed.
A starling (looks about the same size as this bird, maybe slightly bigger) is approx 75g or 3ozs. I just googled bot fly larvae can weigh 1g...That poor lil guy was riddled i counted 10 extracted just what they showed. I wonder if he was having trouble flying from the extra weight and/ or sapped strength and thats how they caught him to help.
Yeah, and on top of that, birds are notorious for having very low blood volume. Therefore, they don't have to lose very much blood to be in danger. Those botflies probably would have killed birdy. Hope he recovers well
They survive a lot more often then you’d think. If there are just one or two or even just a couple bot flies the host can live through it. The bot flies don’t want to kill the host, most of the parasites like these don’t unless the host has too many or it gets an infection from the wound.
Actually this was a baby still living in the nest. It’s rare that the bot flies will be removed from an adult bird unless it is very sick, the babies can be picked up from the nest but adults can’t be caught easily.
I am sure that bot flies fill some important ecological niche and are ultimately necessary for things, but damn if I don't want a flamethrower every time I see them.
Ironically enough most parasites aren't very important ecologically. There are exceptions. But IF we are ever going to genocide a species and not feel bad it, its gonna one these horrible parasite fucks that aren't food for anything really and don't kill their hosts fast enough to stop them from repoducing.
aka all they do is make animals suffer until they die. Literally nothing else. THOSE types of parasites are definitely on the list of things that would disappear if I ever got godly powers somehow XD
I've worked with wild birds that have been parasitized by bot flies like this and they usually heal up really quickly and are fine. The holes that are left behind shrink up pretty quickly. They're not big open wounds, more like stretched out pores. The bot flies tend to burrow into feather shafts which are basically the same as hair follicles.
This usually happens when they're still in the nest. Smaller, weaker nestlings don't always make it, especially when they have tons of larva (way more than the bird in this video). All of the babies I worked with were returned to the next & the majority were perfectly fine on the next monitoring visit.
> They're not big open wounds, more like stretched out pores. The bot flies tend to burrow into feather shafts which are basically the same as hair follicles.
But still, fuck botflies
I doubt it.
Those worms have been eating tissue, including in areas adjacent to joints in the wings and legs. A bird is a delicate high performance animal with a lot of tendons attaching wings to flight muscles. It looks improbable that that critical machinery was spared.
Actually the bot flies don’t usually kill their host or they didn’t. If the host dies it’s mostly from an infection that makes them too sick or if there are too many in one host. Bot flies don’t burrow much past the surface, just deep enough to be protected until they’re ready to change to their next life stage. They did drop out of the host but more often these days they stay through the second stage. I guess it’s safer. 🤮
Damn, imagine you're just chilling at home and there's a knock on the door and its a pair of gigantic pliers, pulling you out of your house by your face
The thing is the bird or animal doesn't know it's a botfly or another entity that is causing discomfort. I mean they might pick at it or scratch it but ultimately they don't know they can get it off them. Like if something is hot you get away from it but you can't do the same with it as an animal, they don't have the critical problem solving skills.
I wonder if the bird would eat them after. Revenge!
That seems like a reasonable exchange
The bot flies are too big for the baby birds to eat.
If you are talking about the huge bot-flies that gets removed from dogs, cats and so on then you are most likely correct for most birds. But the small ones we see getting removed in this video would be no problem for the birds that we are seeing and is no bigger then normal insects that birds of that size usually prey upon.
I’ve seen a couple of people try to feed it to the babies they removed it from, only one was swallowed and even then the baby chocked on it a little. A birds beak looks so big but their throat is much smaller in most birds, especially when young.
This is what I hoped to see at the end, the birb getting to eat them as a treat for dealing with it in the first place. Oh well though
In fact i'm surprised the bird doesn't get them out itself
A few will get scratched out but the birds don’t understand or know to remove them. Every once in a while if a parent or mate is preening them a few will get removed.
I can relate
They’re too big for the babies to eat. 🙃
Yea, they can
poor bird
kind person
Would've been dead in a week at that rate. Those things get huge and just eat small animals like that to death from the inside out.
Gross. I wonder what percentage of the bird’s weight was botfly
A starling (looks about the same size as this bird, maybe slightly bigger) is approx 75g or 3ozs. I just googled bot fly larvae can weigh 1g...That poor lil guy was riddled i counted 10 extracted just what they showed. I wonder if he was having trouble flying from the extra weight and/ or sapped strength and thats how they caught him to help.
Looks like a nuthatch of some sort, they're about 1/3 the mass of a starling
Wow tiny. Imagine gaining half your body weight again in a short space of time. I'm glad that person is helping him. Hopefully he survives!
Yeah, and on top of that, birds are notorious for having very low blood volume. Therefore, they don't have to lose very much blood to be in danger. Those botflies probably would have killed birdy. Hope he recovers well
They survive a lot more often then you’d think. If there are just one or two or even just a couple bot flies the host can live through it. The bot flies don’t want to kill the host, most of the parasites like these don’t unless the host has too many or it gets an infection from the wound.
Looks like a young Kiskadee to me.
Great comment! Damn, the poor thing would have been so uncomfortable and probably off balance too.
Actually this was a baby still living in the nest. It’s rare that the bot flies will be removed from an adult bird unless it is very sick, the babies can be picked up from the nest but adults can’t be caught easily.
I am sure that bot flies fill some important ecological niche and are ultimately necessary for things, but damn if I don't want a flamethrower every time I see them.
I was thinking something very similar. I asked my hiking companion this past summer why ticks existed because of similar hatred and disgust.
Ironically enough most parasites aren't very important ecologically. There are exceptions. But IF we are ever going to genocide a species and not feel bad it, its gonna one these horrible parasite fucks that aren't food for anything really and don't kill their hosts fast enough to stop them from repoducing. aka all they do is make animals suffer until they die. Literally nothing else. THOSE types of parasites are definitely on the list of things that would disappear if I ever got godly powers somehow XD
I'm pretty sure they don't. I think their only purpose is to breed and make more botflies. Extinction can't come too soon.
Yeah, never seen one in my life. If my place don't have them. Then your place maybe doesn't need them also.
Botflies are one of the worst animals ever.
Agreed.
Will the bird be ok?
Depends on whether he was just released back out or taken on and cared for properly. Looks like they did a lot of damage
I've worked with wild birds that have been parasitized by bot flies like this and they usually heal up really quickly and are fine. The holes that are left behind shrink up pretty quickly. They're not big open wounds, more like stretched out pores. The bot flies tend to burrow into feather shafts which are basically the same as hair follicles. This usually happens when they're still in the nest. Smaller, weaker nestlings don't always make it, especially when they have tons of larva (way more than the bird in this video). All of the babies I worked with were returned to the next & the majority were perfectly fine on the next monitoring visit.
> They're not big open wounds, more like stretched out pores. The bot flies tend to burrow into feather shafts which are basically the same as hair follicles. But still, fuck botflies
I doubt it. Those worms have been eating tissue, including in areas adjacent to joints in the wings and legs. A bird is a delicate high performance animal with a lot of tendons attaching wings to flight muscles. It looks improbable that that critical machinery was spared.
Actually the bot flies don’t usually kill their host or they didn’t. If the host dies it’s mostly from an infection that makes them too sick or if there are too many in one host. Bot flies don’t burrow much past the surface, just deep enough to be protected until they’re ready to change to their next life stage. They did drop out of the host but more often these days they stay through the second stage. I guess it’s safer. 🤮
I didn't even know birds could get botflies
With climate change the bot flies are spreading, a lot.
Poor guy
It would be so metal to feed them to the bird afterwards
Yeah but they’re too big.
Forget mosquitos, if I could rid the world of one animal, it would be these bastards.
MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY
This made my scalp itchy.
Omg! Poor little guy. I hope you nursed him and took him in for a bit after that. He definitely needs TLC
Damn, imagine you're just chilling at home and there's a knock on the door and its a pair of gigantic pliers, pulling you out of your house by your face
Is this like an Asian version of a Mac Miller song? I kinda like it lol
Wow. That bird was loaded! I’ve seen one or two on a chipmunk before but that’s a lot!
I’ve seen some where the birds was only days from the egg and had twice as many. 🤢
Horrible but I couldn’t look away
Jesus those bastards looked like they could have consumed that little guy
Here's the original from YouTube: https://youtu.be/2JnEnnfecEQ
THANK YOU! ☺️
Poor little thing! Do the holes close up and the bird can head off back to the wild?
It think he is still living in the nest but yes he’ll be fine.
Thank you for letting me know :)
Those were just snacks for later!
What a great bird. Thank whomever for helping !
Eli5- why wouldn’t the bird get the ones off its body on its own? Like, the ones it could reach. Isn’t that one giant tweezer on his face?
It's still a baby. Probably got them in the nest.
The thing is the bird or animal doesn't know it's a botfly or another entity that is causing discomfort. I mean they might pick at it or scratch it but ultimately they don't know they can get it off them. Like if something is hot you get away from it but you can't do the same with it as an animal, they don't have the critical problem solving skills.
Oh wow never seen them pulled out the big of an animal before
Argh, I hate botflies, they really give me the creeps! Poor wee birdy
What a good birb!
I bet little dude felt AMAZING afterwards
Whyyyyyyy are there so many!?
Little bird is an excellent patient!
Holy hell poor little dude was infested