Scaly Beak <!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2327677141881672"; /* Short title Links */ google_ad_slot = "3055805829"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 15; //-->

Scaly Beak or Scaly Face is a condition found in birds that is caused by a mite known as either the Scaly Face Mite or the Scaly Leg Mite. In canaries the same mite causes a condition commonly called 'Tassle Foot'. The mite’s scientific name is Cnemidocoptes. Being an arachnid, it is an eight-legged creature and is the smaller cousin of the spider, the tick and the scorpion. It burrows under the scales of the legs and into the keratin of a bird’s beak. However, it can also be found around the vent of birds and on their wing tips.