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We investigated the causes of toe and foot loss and other deformities long observed in urban Brewer’s Blackbirds (Euphagus cyanocephalus) in southern California. Histopathologic evaluation showed that afflicted individuals suffered from infestations of mites compatible with Knemidokoptes spp. (scaly-leg mites). We developed a case definition based on gross lesions in confirmed cases and the scientific literature to search two large ornithological collections for specimens exhibiting these lesions. in evaluating specimens among seven species of the family icteridae, we found 34 specimens in the two collections with lesions consistent with Knemidokoptes spp. Species afflicted included the red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus; 12 of 978 specimens), Brewer’s Blackbird (10/337 specimens), tricolored Blackbird (A. tricolor; 4/101 specimens), Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater; 4/828 specimens), and Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus; 4/224 specimens). the earliest cluster of California specimens dated to 1962. Fourteen of the 34 specimens exhibiting the condition were collected since 1999. no specimens of the yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus; 0 of 214 specimens) or Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta; 0/278) were found with the condition. Flocking blackbirds of the genera Agelaius, Molothrus, Euphagus, and Quiscalus are generally abundant and highly visible members of local avifaunas. as such, they are excellent candidates or sentinel species for tracking the occurrence of disease in local bird populations. in the past several years, a noticeable prevalence of toe and foot loss and other foot deformities among urban Brewer’s Blackbirds (Euphagus cyanocephalus) in southern California has resulted in public concern and media attention to this condition (e.g., Brennan 2013, Figure 1). We investigated the causes of this condition through histopathologic evaluation of several recently collected blackbirds. We also searched the collections of the natural History Museum of los angeles County and San Diego natural History Museum to locate specimens showing lesions consistent with those found in local wild populations, to investigate the geographical and temporal patterns of this condition. One of the more prevalent but poorly understood ectoparasites afflicting wild bird populations worldwide is Knemidokoptes, a genus of mites (acari; astigmata; epidermoptidae), commonly associated with proliferative lesions on the shanks of free-ranging backyard chickens. in birds, infestations of these mites can cause a condition known as scaly-leg (turk 1950), because

Historical and Geographical Patterns in Knemidokoptes Mite Infestations in Southern California Birds