do you have any cool bird preening facts? like is preening different for some bird species? or could u maybe tell us how preening works on a technical level? i always thought birds just kinda run their beaks over their feathers but then i heard sth abt an oil gland and id love to know more lol
Very well! Let’s start with a simple question “What is preening?”
Preening is a bird’s way of grooming its feathers in order to keep them in a good condition. The act of preening removes dust, dirt and parasites from the feathers of a bird, and aligns each feather in the most optimal position. The majority of all birds species preen several times a day, as it is very important to their health.
The oil gland which you were referring to is called either uropygial gland or preen gland. It is located near the tail and produces oily or waxy substances that help waterproofing feathers, keeping them flexible, and protecting the birds from parasites. There are also some researchers who suggest it might have use during courtship, but so far that hasn’t been entirely proven. During preening, this oil is spread to each feather, so everything is evenly protected. Not every bird has this gland (e.g. pigeons, amazon parrots and hyacinth macaws), and as a substitute they have specialised feathers.
Different kinds of preening:
Apart from the aforementioned standard method of them just using their feet or beak to spread the oil, birds have come up with several different ways to preen themselves
Sunning: Sunning is a way of getting rids of parasites. By using the heat of the sun, a bird can control to which area of the body a parasite, such as a mite, will go, to nibble them off more easily. Apart from that, sunning may help spreading the oil secreted by the preen gland as it liquifies it more.
Anting: Anting is a behaviour blue jays are famous for. During anting, a bird will lay down on an anthill or rub ants over its body in over to make them release and distribute formic, killing feather-damaging parasites in the process.
Bathing: Many birds, particularly songbirds bathe in water, engaging in extensive preening and splashing around to moisten their feathers. This process removes dust, dirt and parasites from feathers.
Stretching: Even though stretching itself isn’t much of a preening method, it might be used before and after preening. Extensive stretching can help to provide space between each feather, so the entire feather can be stroked and groomed more effectively. It may also help birds align their feathers after a section has been cleaned
Dust bathing: Particularly chickens and sparrows engage in something called dust bathing. The dust helps to dislodge parasites and it absorbs excess preen oil, preventing feathers from being to heavily coated. Birds that don’t bathe in water are more likely to engage in dust bathing, but many use both types.
But always remember:
Image sources: Matt Adrian, Lip Kee
