Marked Ornithodoros maritimus tick feeding on artificial skin that it pierces to take its blood meal in a laboratory. The tick is marked in different colours to record how many times it has been captured and released. Ornithodoros maritimus ticks infect a wide range of seabirds including gulls. They are important vectors of disease and can transmit viruses such as West Nile fever and Soldado virus, which can cause high mortality in bird populations.