Scaly foot

The tunnels made by the mites within the skin cause dermatitis and scaly lesions.

The condition can be compared with sarcoptic mange in mammals, but does not seem to cause the same level of itching.

The condition sometimes additionally affects piciformes (woodpeckers, toucans) and anseriformes (ducks, geese, swans), raptors and other birds.

Other related species of mite affect feather follicles and cause depluming.

The mites are mostly transmitted by prolonged direct contact, particularly from parent bird to unfledged nestling.