Bird Mite
Scientific Name: Ornithonyssus sylviarum / Dermanyssus gallinae
Order & Family: Order: Mesostigmata, Family: Macronyssidae / Dermanyssidae
Size: 0.5mm to 1.0mm (barely visible to the naked eye, appearing as moving specks)
Natural Habitat
Typically found in bird nests, poultry houses, and occasionally indoor residential areas following bird abandonment of a nest.
Diet & Feeding
Hematophagous; they feed on the blood of birds, but will bite humans if their primary host is unavailable.
Behavior Patterns
They are highly active, fast-moving, and nocturnal. They transition through egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adult stages rapidly, often in less than a week.
Risks & Benefits
Risks include intense itching, skin irritation, and dermatitis in humans. While they cannot complete their life cycle on human blood, they cause significant discomfort. They offer no known ecosystem benefits in residential settings.
Identified on: 4/13/2026