View allAll Photos Tagged preening
A Wilson's Snipe preening and stretching out it's feathers on a mound of mud, sticks and grass.
Carden Alvar,Ontario
Canada
In the early morning light this swan was having a preen.
Birds have up to 25,000 feathers, and regular preening keeps each one of those feathers in top condition. Second only to feeding, preening is a common bird behaviour.
Preening is a bird's way of grooming its feathers to keep them in the best condition. Whilst preening, birds remove dust, dirt, and parasites from their feathers and align each feather in the optimum position relative to adjacent feathers and body shape. Most birds will preen several times a day to keep themselves healthy.
The uropygial gland, or preen gland, is an essential part of preening. This gland is found near the base of the tail and produces an oily, waxy substance that helps waterproof feathers and keep them flexible. While preening, birds spread this oil to each feather so they are evenly coated and protected. Some types of birds, including owls, pigeons, parrots, and hawks, lack a uropygial gland. Instead, these birds have specialized feathers that disintegrate into powder down, which serves the same purpose as preen oil.
A male Bald eagle takes a few minutes to preen during our photo session yesterday.
Taken in Harrison County Indiana
From a sequence of images (three of which are posted) taken of this sanderling going through some morning preening at Moss Landing State Beach.
Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala)
A lot the birds who call the trees in front of the high school on Hoppers Lane home, have had to move to different trees recently as a lot of the trees were cut right back. The Purple-crowned seem to be happy in their new tree.
Just a gull preening on a dock wile standing in poop. Pillar Point Harbor, just north of Half Moon Bay, California.
The heron was preening (cleaning its feathers with its beak). That's why its feathers are all fluffed up. Most of the photos I took had its head tuck under one of its wings.
An adult Wood drake in eclipse plumage. I've posted a couple of shots from this series.
Thank you for taking a look!
Wildwood Lake, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Nice viewed full screen. Keys L then F11
1/640 sec. f/7.1 600mm ISO200
Female Red Footed Falcon
having a cleaning session after her turn in with chicks.
Again from the trip to Hungary in the tower Hide, so was eye level
Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis)
From a visit to the Victoria University pond on this day two years ago.
♂️ Piranga rubra (Summer tanager / Piranga abejera)
La Ceja, Colombia; Central Andes; 2.300 meters above sea level.
The only completely red bird in North America, the strawberry-colored male Summer Tanager is an eye-catching sight against the green leaves of the forest canopy.
The mustard-yellow female is harder to spot, though both sexes have a very distinctive chuckling call note. Fairly common during the summer, these birds migrate as far as the middle of South America each winter.