Pseudolynchia canariensis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Pseudolynchia canariensis, the pigeon louse fly or pigeon fly, is a species of biting fly in the family of louse flies, Hippoboscidae. Pseudolynchia canariensis are species-specific (Columbidae) obligate ectoparasites potentially found in many parts of world where domestic pigeons are kept. Known from wild or feral hosts in continental Africa, the Mediterranean Sub-region, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands, the Philippines, Malaya, and Indonesia, as well as North America and South America in warmer latitudes.
In 1931, G. Robert Coatney conducted an experiment to determine if pigeon louse flies would bite humans and survive on human blood and he found they could not. The only wild hosts are pigeons and doves (Columbidae). In domestic settings they have been recorded from 33 genera, 13 families and 8 orders of birds.
Pseudolynchia canariensis is the definitive host (sexual reproduction takes place in the insect vector) for the protozoan Haemoproteus columbae or pigeon malaria and transmits this parasite to Columbiformes. This parasite can be fatal to young rock pigeons in extremely infected birds... Wikipedia →
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More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pigeon Louse Fly sighting in Bucharest on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 175th most-seen of the 361 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pigeon Louse Fly in Bucharest on a given day, against under 5% in January–July and September, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 16 cities where we can rate Pigeon Louse Fly sightings, Bucharest ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Valencia (Spain, about 10%) and Tel Aviv (Israel, about 10%).
Same order: Diptera
The closest relatives of the Pigeon Louse Fly that you can see in Bucharest (order Diptera, Flies) are Marmalade Hover Fly (about 10%), Common Drone Fly (about 10%) and Yellow-Haired Sun Fly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pigeon Louse Fly is recorded against all the insects logged in Bucharest (10 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
