Bird Mite
Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Northern Fowl Mite) or Dermanyssus gallinae (Red Poultry Mite)
- Order & Family
- Order: Mesostigmata; Family: Macronyssidae or Dermanyssidae
- Size
- Extremely small, roughly 0.5 to 1.0 mm (size of a period at the end of a sentence).
Natural Habitat
Found in bird nests, poultry houses, and occasionally in residential homes if a bird nest is nearby (such as in eaves or vents).
Diet & Feeding
Obligate blood-feeders that primarily parasitize birds; they may bite humans if their bird hosts leave the nest.
Behavior Patterns
They are highly active crawlers. While they cannot fly or jump, they can move quickly into buildings through cracks and crevices when looking for a new host. They cannot survive long-term or reproduce on human blood alone.
Risks & Benefits
In humans, they cause intensely itchy, red bites and dermatitis. Though they are not known to transmit diseases to humans, they are a significant nuisance and source of skin irritation. They have no ecological benefits for humans.