Bird Lice or Biting Lice
Scientific Name: Phthiraptera (Suborder Ischnocera)
Order & Family: Order: Phthiraptera, Families: various (e.g., Philopteridae)
Size: 0.5 mm to 10 mm (most are approximately 1-3 mm)
Natural Habitat
Exclusively found on the bodies of birds (and some mammals), typically living in the feathers or down.
Diet & Feeding
They feed on feathers, skin fragments, and dermal debris. Unlike sucking lice, they do not generally feed on blood.
Behavior Patterns
They are permanent parasites that spend their entire life cycle on the host. They cannot survive for more than a few days off the host and are highly host-specific.
Risks & Benefits
They pose no physical risk to humans but can cause irritation and feather damage to poultry or wild birds. They do not transmit diseases to humans but are considered pests in agricultural settings.
Identified on: 4/4/2026