Book 31, Question 113
Why do birds sunbathe with their wings spread out?
Sometimes a bird lies flat on the ground or a branch with its wings open and its feathers fluffed in the sun.
Scientists think the warmth helps the bird warm up on a cool morning. It may also help drive out feather mites and make preening easier. Birds sunbathe for just a few minutes at a time, then shake out their feathers and move on.
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Quick answers
Why do birds sunbathe with their wings spread out?
On cold mornings, for instance, Turkey Vultures might fly up into a perch and spread their wings to the sun, allowing the day’s first rays to blast away the chill of night.
Source: Audubon
More fun facts
- Today, scientists know that birds from more than 50 families sunbathe.
- Birds devote about 9 percent of their time to so-called maintenance behaviors.
- Feather lice are so skilled at hiding amid a bird's feathers that they can be hard to remove by preening alone.
- A feather louse is only about 1 millimeter long, and made of keratin, the same material found in bird feathers as well as human hair and nails.
Sources: Audubon