Bird Mite
Scientific Name: Ornithonyssus sylviarum / Dermanyssus gallinae
Order & Family: Order: Mesostigmata, Family: Macronyssidae / Dermanyssidae
Size: 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm (extremely small and difficult to see without magnification).
Natural Habitat
Bird nests, poultry houses, and occasionally residential buildings after birds abandon a nest in or on the structure.
Diet & Feeding
The primary diet is blood from avian hosts; however, they may bite humans if their primary host is unavailable.
Behavior Patterns
They are highly mobile and phototactic. They often migrate from abandoned bird nests through vents or windows into living spaces in search of a new host.
Risks & Benefits
They do not live or reproduce on humans but can cause itchy, red skin irritations and dermatitis from bites. They are considered pests and offer no ecosystem benefits in a domestic setting.
Identified on: 1/10/2026