This talk introduces how we study bird microbiota and why it matters, then explores what we're learning about the three-way relationship between bird microbiota, mosquito microbiota, and malaria parasites. I'll touch on the methods used to study bird microbiota and the challenges involved, before showing how these microbial communities interact with, and are shaped by, Plasmodium infection. The broader questions of how host and vector microbiomes, together with the pathogen, shape one another may resonate with other fields beyond malaria and birds.