 As with other bird families, pelicans are susceptible to a variety of parasites.Specialist feather lice of the genus "Piagetella" are found in the pouches of all species of pelican, but are otherwise only known from New World and Antarctic cormorants.Avian malaria is carried by the mosquito "Culex pipens", and high densities of these biting insects may force pelican colonies to be abandoned.