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
Not certain it is a Pigeon Tick? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Pigeon Tick sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spotted a Pigeon Tick?
Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal and know for sure - plus a live map of where it is being spotted near you.
5,300+species
63national parks
50states