Bird Mite
Scientific Name: Ornithonyssus sylviarum / Dermanyssus gallinae
Order & Family: Order: Mesostigmata; Family: Macronyssidae / Dermanyssidae
Size: 0.5 to 1.0 mm (barely visible to the naked eye, appearing as moving specks)
Natural Habitat
Bird nests (pigeons, starlings, sparrows), poultry houses, and occasionally indoor surfaces near nesting sites such as window sills or vents.
Diet & Feeding
Hematophagous (feed on the blood of birds, primarily poultry and wild nesting birds); they may bite humans but cannot survive long or reproduce on human blood.
Behavior Patterns
They are active primarily at night, seeking hosts to feed on. When their natural bird hosts abandon a nest, mites migrate in large numbers into dwellings seeking a new food source.
Risks & Benefits
Risks include severe itching, skin irritation, and dermatitis in humans from bites. They do not transmit diseases to humans but are significant pests to the poultry industry. There are no known benefits.
Identified on: 2/6/2026