Safety note: Check for ticks after outdoor activity.
The Pigeon Tick is a soft tick (family Argasidae) that inhabits pigeon roosting sites and bird nests, feeding rapidly on blood at night unlike the slow feeding of hard ticks. When pigeon roosts are removed, starving ticks may wander into buildings and bite humans, causing intense allergic reactions in sensitized individuals. Soft ticks lack the hard scutum of hard ticks and have a leathery, wrinkled body.
Habitat
Pigeon nests and roosting sites in buildings and ledges
Diet
All stages: blood of pigeons and birds; occasionally humans
How common
Uncommon
Recent Pigeon Tick sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Pigeon Tick? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant or animal and get an instant ID, rarity, and field notes — building your personal nature collection as you go.
Get Huck — free