Even when a bird survives trich, the disease can leave lasting effects. The swelling and lesions in a raptor’s throat can displace its tongue and sometimes press on its eyes and brain.

Trichomonosis, a disease spread by a parasite so old it may have infected the T. rex, is spreading among birds in Phoenix. The disease is most common in pigeons and doves.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. Loncar’s owlets were victims of trichomonosis, a disease that spikes among Phoenix-area birds during the summer.