Bird Mite
Scientific Name: Ornithonyssus sylviarum or Dermanyssus gallinae
Order & Family: Order Mesostigmata, Family Macronyssidae or Dermanyssidae
Size: Extremely small, approximately 0.5 to 1.0 mm (barely visible to the naked eye; often appearing as walking specks of dust).
Natural Habitat
Typically found in bird nests (sparrows, starlings, pigeons) or in buildings near nesting sites such as windowsills, eaves, or vents.
Diet & Feeding
Blood of birds/poultry. They can bite humans if their bird hosts leave the nest, though they cannot survive or reproduce on human blood.
Behavior Patterns
They are highly mobile and phototactic. When a bird host abandons a nest, mites migrate in large numbers into living spaces searching for a new host. They are most active during spring and early summer.
Risks & Benefits
Risks include skin irritation, intense itching, and 'prickling' sensations from bites in humans. They do not transmit diseases to humans but are significant pests to the poultry industry. In the ecosystem, they serve as specialized parasites.
Identified on: 1/6/2026