What is preening?
Preening is when birds use their beaks to groom, clean, and align their feathers. It is an important part of a bird’s daily routine and serves several purposes:
- Removes dirt, parasites, and old feathers
- Redistributes oils across the feathers to help waterproof them
- Aligns feathers properly to enable flight
Birds have a preen gland near their tail that secretes an oily substance they spread across their feathers during preening. This oil helps keep the feathers flexible and water-resistant.
Preening is often seen immediately after birds bathe as it helps realign feathers that got ruffled during swimming or splashing in water. It can be done standing, perching, or flying. Some birds like parrots even use their feet to help preen hard to reach head and neck feathers.
Do birds only preen when dirty or wet?
While preening often follows dust bathing or water bathing when feathers get dirty or wet, birds also preen at other times even when their plumage appears clean. Birds can spend upwards of several hours a day preening.
Some reasons birds may preen even when not visibly dirty or wet include:
- Maintaining feather condition – Preen oil gets depleted and feathers can get out of alignment over time, requiring regular preening to keep them in optimal shape for insulation and flight.
- Molting – Increased preening helps remove old feathers that are molted and align new emerging feathers properly.
- Comfort – Preening seems to provide comfort, relaxation, and pleasure to birds the way grooming does for cats, dogs, and other animals.
- Social bonding – Mutual preening between mated pairs and within flocks contributes to social bonding.
So preening serves important physical and social purposes beyond just cleaning dirty feathers. Preening does not always mean a bird was dirty before commencing the activity.
Do birds preen more when comfortable and relaxed?
Research suggests birds do engage in increased preening when they are comfortable and relaxed in their environments. Here are some key points:
- One study found birds preened 19% more in enriched cages with amenities compared to plain cages.
- Higher rates of preening are observed in aviaries and other settings allowing natural movements over restricted cages.
- Another study tracked activity of birds provided with nesting material. Preening comprised 13% of behavior with nesting material but just 9% without.
- Lower status birds within flocks preen less than higher status birds who face less competition and threats.
These findings indicate preening is valued activity birds engage in more extensively when environmental conditions are optimized and they feel safe and secure.
Preening creates comfort both physically through oil distribution and psychologically as a relaxing, self-soothing behavior. So the preening likely further improves the bird’s mood creating a positive feedback loop.
How does preening behavior differ across bird species?
The frequency and extent of preening varies considerably between different types of birds based on their plumage and habitat. Some key differences:
- Waterfowl – Waterfowl like ducks and geese preen extensively, up to 8 hours a day. Their feather structure traps more air to provide insulation and buoyancy. Proper preening is critical for water resistance.
- Raptors – Birds of prey rely on sleek, aerodynamic feathers for agile flight needed for hunting. Raptors like eagles, hawks, and vultures still spend 1-3 hours a day preening.
- Parrots – Parrots’ bright plumage requires diligent preening to keep feathers colorfully vibrant. Their frequently handled feathers also get ruffled and displaced easily.
- Songbirds – Smaller birds like finches and sparrows with more compact feathers can get by with less extensive preening.
Beyond feather characteristics, time spent preening also depends on factors like brood size, molting stage, habitat threats, and season. Birds essentially preen as needed to maintain feather integrity.
When do birds commonly preen throughout the day?
Birds exhibit peaks in preening at certain times of day correlated with routines like waking up and settling in for sleep.
- Early morning – Birds preen after waking up to realign feathers ruffled during sleep and distribute fresh preen oil after remaining inactive all night.
- Mid-day – Heat and drying can disrupt feathers around midday. Midday preening helps counteract these effects.
- Late afternoon – Preening again picks up as temperatures cool and birds prepare to settle down for overnight resting and sleep.
Birds follow natural circadian rhythms just like humans. Preening bookends both ends of their daily active cycles.
Outside of these peak preening periods, bursts of preening occur intermittently as needed after activities like feeding, dust bathing, flying, and social interactions. Birds essentially preen opportunistically throughout the day.
How does preening change across seasons?
Bird preening patterns shift across seasons in synchronization with molting schedules and plumage changes.
- Spring – Longer preening sessions help birds shape colorful breeding plumage and redistribute oils depleted over winter.
- Summer – High preening rates continue maintaining feathers for nesting and rearing hatchlings.
- Fall – Preening increases as birds molt old feathers and replace them with fresh plumage.
- Winter – Birds preen extensively to ensure feathers provide adequate insulation and warmth.
Birds may spend over half their daylight time preening during peak molting periods. Meeting seasonal demands of migration, courtship, breeding, and regulating body temperature all influence preening needs.
How does preening behavior differ between wild birds and pet birds?
Wild birds and pet birds exhibit some notable preening differences:
- Coat condition – Wild birds generally have more pristine, healthy feathers than pets. Pet birds tend to have more ragged, malnourished plumage.
- Preening duration – Wild birds spend more time preening than pets limited by cage space and human interaction time.
- Dirt exposure – Wild birds’ feathers get dirtier more often from outdoor living requiring more frequent cleaning preens.
- Preen variety – Wild birds engage in more activities benefiting preening like sunning, dust bathing, and water bathing than most pets.
However, pet birds under human care can still exhibit natural preening if provided room for movement and bathing opportunities. And their constant proximity to owners enables bonding through mutual preening.
How can bird owners provide optimal preening conditions for their pet birds?
Bird owners can promote healthy preening in their pets by:
- Allowing supervised time flying free outside their cage daily
- Installing different sized perches and toys inside the cage
- Misting birds with spray bottles or placing bathing dishes in the cage
- Setting up areas for safe sunning and dust bathing
- Supplementing with preen gland supplements if needed
- Avoiding nutrient deficiencies that can cause feather issues
- Regularly trimming damaged feathers that may snag
Making preening more convenient and rewarding for pet birds can improve both their physical and psychological health. Vets can also diagnose any underlying issues causing abnormal preening behavior.
Conclusion
Preening serves essential functions for bird health and comfort beyond just cleaning feathers. Birds devote extensive time to preening, especially when conditions are optimal and they feel relaxed and secure. Preening increases during molting periods and peaks at certain times of day influenced by circadian rhythms. Bird owners can promote natural preening in their pets by providing an enriched environment meeting their physical and psychological needs. Understanding normal preening behavior provides key insights into assessing bird health and welfare.
