How do bird fleas look? - briefly
Bird fleas are tiny, laterally flattened insects about 1–2 mm long, dark brown to reddish, wingless, with powerful hind legs for jumping. They possess a hard exoskeleton and a short, pointed abdomen.
How do bird fleas look? - in detail
Bird fleas are small, laterally compressed insects typically measuring 1.5–3 mm in length. Their bodies are dark brown to reddish‑black, with a glossy exoskeleton that reflects light. The head is short, bearing a pair of short antennae concealed beneath the pronotum. Mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood, forming a slender, elongated proboscis that extends forward from the head.
The thorax supports six long, powerful legs. Each leg ends in a series of comb‑like spines (the “genal and pronotal ctenidia”) that enable the flea to cling to feather shafts and skin. The hind legs are larger than the fore‑ and mid‑legs, providing rapid jumping ability; they can propel the flea up to 100 times its body length.
Abdomen consists of eight visible segments, each covered with fine, short setae. The dorsal surface is slightly convex, while the ventral side is flatter to facilitate movement through the host’s plumage. In mature specimens, the abdomen often appears swollen with a visible blood meal.
Key morphological characteristics:
- Length: 1.5–3 mm
- Color: dark brown to reddish‑black, glossy
- Body shape: laterally flattened, convex dorsally
- Head: short, concealed antennae, piercing proboscis
- Legs: six, with comb‑like spines; hind legs enlarged for jumping
- Abdomen: eight segmented, setae‑covered, blood‑filled in engorged adults
Nymphs resemble adults but are smaller (0.8–1.5 mm), lighter in color, and lack fully developed jumping legs and combs. Egg shells are oval, translucent, and measure about 0.5 mm, adhering to nest material or feather bases. This detailed morphology distinguishes bird fleas from mammalian flea species, which tend to be more rounded and lack the specialized combs for gripping feathers.