Bird Louse / Chewing Louse
Scientific Name: Mallophaga (suborder)
Order & Family: Order: Psocodea; Suborder: Mallophaga (Commonly includes families like Menoponidae or Philopteridae)
Size: 0.5 mm to 10 mm in length
Natural Habitat
Found on the skin and among the feathers of birds; occasionally found on mammals. They are highly host-specific.
Diet & Feeding
Feed on feathers, hair, skin scales, and occasionally blood if the skin is broken.
Behavior Patterns
Wingless and flattened insects that spend their entire life cycle on a host. They attach their eggs (nits) to feathers or hair.
Risks & Benefits
Generally not harmful to humans as they cannot survive off their specific avian or mammalian hosts. They represent a nuisance to the host and can cause irritation or feather loss, but lack ecological benefits to humans.
Identified on: 1/30/2026