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Pin-striped Tit-babblers in a public bath house

on 23rd September 2013

Tony Tham’s video clip was documented at Singapore’s Venus Loop. It shows a pair of Pin-striped Tit-babblers (Macronous gularis) enjoying a bath in a tree-hole filled with water. The feathers of both birds are thoroughly fluffed and will need plenty of preening after the bath to get the barbs and barbuls properly aligned.

Birds’ feathers need to be properly maintained to keep them in perfect condition. Otherwise there would be problems in flying, especially in getting away from predators and in hunting for food. Bathing is one of a few ways that birds indulge in to clean their feathers, as even water birds bathe LINK.

Dive bathing: Instead of bathing in the water, some birds take dives into the pond or lake to soak up and then fly back to the perch to preen LINK.

Leaf Bathing: Other birds take advantage of water droplets on leaves to leaf-bathe by rolling around on the leaf to soak up the droplets. These water droplets may come from the early morning dew LINK, after a rain LINK or even after the plants are watered LINK.

Sand Bathing: Some birds prefer sand to water to clean their feathers LINK.

Preening: This is the commonest method of feather maintenance LINK and birds indulge in it most of the time. Besides aligning the barbs and barbules of the feathers, preening removes dirt and keep the feathers oiled with a waxy substance obtained from the preen gland found at the base of the tail.

Sunbathing: Lying on the ground LINK or perching on branches of leafless trees LINK, some birds spread their wings to get the full benefit of the sun’s heat.

Anting: A few species of birds pick up ants LINK and place them on their feathers so that the agitated ants release formic acid that kill off lice and mites that have the potential to damage the feathers. Sometimes birds also use millipedes, snails, beetles and wasps instead of ants. Crows especially, have been observed to lie on ants’ nest, allowing the ants to swarm all over them to do the job LINK.

Tony Tham & YC Wee
Singapore
September 2013
(Thanks to Jeremiah Loei, we managed to obtain permission from Tony Tham to post the video clip here)

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

2 Responses

  1. I am not a bird person but this I have to say: I do believe that BESG is one of the few most useful & informative bird & Nature blogs I have ever subscribed to.
    Reading the postings has been, for me, a revelation into the secret lives of our fellow beings. Salutations!

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