How Birds Keep Warm in Winter

It always amazes me how such small creatures don’t freeze in the winter. Just looking out the window on a cold, blustery day in the winter makes me shiver. But birds have many awesome adaptations that allow them to survive even in the most frigid conditions, and understanding what birds need to keep...

Ants in Your Pants

“What is anting”, you ask? This behaviour is part of many a bird species cleaning regime. Anting occurs in two different forms and it does not always involve ants. Anting occurs either as active anting, in which the bird picks an ant up and applies it to its plumage, or passive anting....

Bathing & Dusting

When birds bathe in water or saturate themselves with dust they are actively maintaining their plumage. In well-watered areas, bathing is most common. In arid ones, dusting is more often observed. Frequent dusting helps to maintain an optimum amount of oil on the feathers. Excess plumage lipids, including...