[1][2][3] It is most often a parasite of birds, but also has been found to bite humans and two species of mammals.

Tropical fowl mites undergo five stages during their development: egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adult.

They are often diurnal, whereas northern fowl mites are nocturnal in nature.

These two features distinguish it from another member of the genus, Ornithonyssus sylviarum, whose posterior end narrows considerably and which possesses only two pairs of legs on its sternal plate.

[4] Ornithonyssus bursa can move from birds' nests into human homes.