When birds bathe in water or cover themselves in dust they are actively maintaining their plumage. In well-watered areas bathing is most common, but during winter when things are a lot dryer – or in arid areas – sand dusting is more often observed.
Red-billed oxpeckers dustbathing.
Dust bathing is a very important part of a bird’s preening and plumage maintenance that keeps feathers in top condition. When they do this they get their bodies as low to the ground as possible, often with their bellies placed on the ground, they then vigorously wriggle their wings and body in a frantic manner as if they were trying to shake something off and then proceed to flap and ruffle their feathers but, in fact, its the complete opposite. They try to ensure the dust is worked as deeply into their feathers as possible so the bird’s feathers can absorb excess oil to help keep the feathers from becoming greasy and matted. Most birds use preening oil to preen their feathers to make sure they are in the best possible condition which assist in flight.
White-fronted bee-eaters dust bathe en masse.
When it comes to ostriches however it is slightly different because they do not have a uropygial gland which is the oil gland possessed by the majority of birds, so they are reliant on dust-bathing to keep their feathers healthy and dry. Ostrich wing feathers are particularly important to them for mating displays, shading chicks, covering naked skin to conserve heat and for use as ‘rudders’ to help manoeuvrability while running.
It’s a fairly common occurrence to see birds dust-bathing in winter, but to see the largest bird in the world doing it is something I certainly wasn’t expecting! It’s a bit more dramatic when the practitioner weights over 100kg!
Interesting blog Guy. Love the video.
Interesting reading and beautiful visuals. Thank you.
Guy, I loved the photos, especially oxpecters, and the white fronted bee eaters🤗
powerful & informative indeed the way you presented on preening exhibited by birds.
lmages very very beautiful and hugely help one to quickly understand the message portrayed
Bee eaters enmasse image is very beautiful.
I found the piece on Ostrich lacking that preening oil is very enlightening.thank you
Hello Guy, thank for for the lovely video! Ostrich are impressive birds, they are quite interesting from a behavioural point of view and are just spectacular! Any news about new chicks?
Looks more like it’s doing an exotic dance ….beautiful and practical 😊
We saw this behavior 2 years ago and assumed they were providing cover for chicks. Thanks for the update!
We met the female ostrich in 2015 prior to her finding her mate. She had taken a particular liking to our ranger Don, so I was able to photograph some great pictures. So much so that when we moved to the next location we watched a group of zebra looking off in the distance in tandem, they were watching her approach to visit Don some more!!! Great photo of the zebra at the watering hole looking off together as well.
Great info, and great photo work! The color of the sky/sun behind the ostriches makes it so beautiful. And all the little touches of color on the other birds… lovely
Great footage with that African sky as a backdrop Guy. Last time I saw Ostrich dust bathing was in the Western Cape. Incredible to watch,as you said ❤️🙏
This is so beautiful, thank you for sharing this with us. I see birds dust bathing & now I know why they do. Thank you Guy for this explanation & lovely pictures ❤️
Great bird photos and video of the ostriches, Guy! The white -fronted bee-eaters are such lovely birds.
I didn’t know about dust-bathing – fascinating!
Beautiful video with the sun setting behind!
Summer and winter preening behavioural adaptations are really fascinating.birds have surely evolved tactically prowess.
birding simplified greatly and supporting images crystal clear
Very cool information, and seemingly counterintuitive – getting dirty to get clean!!! But your explanation makes complete sense, taken from the birds’ perspectives!! Thanks!
Beautiful video of ostrich dust bathing.nature never dissapoints
More ostriches and cheetahs please. Nice post. Never thought of it.
Any (good…) news of the chicks on the property? Thank you Guy.
Always wonderful to welcome new life to Londolozi…. Such amazing creatures! And why is it once again the male is sooooo spectacular in plumage compared to the female🥴truly beautiful
There’s always something new to learn so thank you for educating us. I watch birds here use the birdbath daily, but have never seen dust bathing! Something to look for next year!
Guy, Thanks for the education! We learn something new every morning when the blog arrives! 🙂
Interesting!
Interesting! Ostriches are really fascinating creatures!
This is an outstanding shot with that background. Great composition.