Bird Mite
Scientific Name: Ornithonyssus sylviarum or Dermanyssus gallinae
Order & Family: Order: Mesostigmata, Family: Macronyssidae or Dermanyssidae
Size: 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm (extremely small, resembling a speck of pepper or dust)
Natural Habitat
Found in bird nests (pigeons, starlings, sparrows) and poultry houses; often migrate indoors through vents or windows when birds leave the nest.
Diet & Feeding
Blood of birds (preferred) but will bite mammals, including humans, if their primary avian host is unavailable.
Behavior Patterns
Very active crawlers that are most active at night; they cannot fly or jump. They require a blood meal to reproduce and have a short life cycle of about 7-12 days.
Risks & Benefits
Risks include intense itching, skin irritation, and dermatitis in humans. They do not survive or reproduce on human blood alone and are not known to transmit diseases to humans. Benefit: No biological benefit to humans; considered a pest.
Identified on: 6/27/2026