Bird Mite
Scientific Name: Ornithonyssus sylviarum / Dermanyssus gallinae
Order & Family: Order: Mesostigmata; Family: Macronyssidae / Dermanyssidae
Size: 0.5 mm to 1 mm (extremely small, often appearing as tiny moving specks)
Natural Habitat
Nests of wild birds (pigeons, starlings, sparrows) and poultry houses; they can enter buildings when birds leave the nest.
Diet & Feeding
Blood from birds; they can bite humans in the absence of a bird host but cannot survive/reproduce on human blood.
Behavior Patterns
Active mostly at night, they are highly mobile and congregate in areas where hosts sleep. They go through five life stages (egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adult) in about 7-10 days.
Risks & Benefits
Risks: Bites cause intense itching and dermatitis in humans. Benefits: None to humans; they are parasites that can cause anemia or death in bird populations.
Identified on: 12/27/2025