Community identification
Bird Mite
Ornithonyssus sylviarum
- Order & Family
- Order Mesostigmata, Family Macronyssidae
- Size
- 0.5 mm to 1 mm (barely visible to the naked eye)
Natural Habitat
Found in or near bird nests on buildings; they enter homes through vents or windows when birds leave the nest.
Diet & Feeding
Blood of birds and occasionally other mammals, including humans.
Behavior Patterns
They are highly mobile and nocturnal, searching for a host when their primary avian host is unavailable. They have a rapid life cycle of 5-12 days.
Risks & Benefits
They can cause intense itching and skin irritation (dermatitis) in humans, though they cannot survive or reproduce on human blood alone. They offer no ecological benefits to humans.