Ceratophyllus niger

Ceratophyllus niger, also known as the western chicken flea or black hen flea, is an ectoparasite of birds.

Life cycle: C. niger's life cycle consists of eggs, three larval stages, pupa stage followed by adult chicken fleas. As an adult, C. niger is 2-2.5 mm (0.08 to 0.10 in) long, laterally flattened, and brown. The adult fleas spend the majority of their time hiding in the host’s nests and come out and latch onto the birds to feed for short durations.