Preening is something that our garden birds do to keep their feathers in the best possible condition and it is an important part of their daily routine. If you watch them, you’ll often see species such as robins, blue tits, blackbirds, finches and sparrows spending several minutes carefully working through their feathers with their beaks. They might also scratch around their head with a foot, stretch a wing or leg, and finish with a vigorous shake.
In summer, birds tend to preen more when they are moulting after the breeding season and need to care for the new feathers that are growing. Seeing birds preen in your garden is a good sign that they are carrying out normal, healthy behaviour.
Here’s why they do it:
Keeping clean
It helps to keep feathers clean by removing dirt ,dust and parasites.
Straightening feathers
It realigns feathers so that they overlap properly, which helps with efficient flight.
Waterproofing
Preening involves spreading oil over plumage from a gland near the base of the tail to maintain waterproofing. This is really important to help keep birds dry during wet weather.
Keeping warm
It keeps feathers fluffed up and properly arranged to provide insulation to help birds stay warm on cool nights and over winter.
Tidying things up
Old feather sheaths are removed as new feathers grow after moulting.
Checking for damage
Birds can have a good look through their feathers so that they can replace worn or broken feathers.
How often do birds preen?
Our garden birds can preen many times throughout the day but most spend 5 to 15% of their waking time caring for their feathers. Preening usually occurs first thing in the morning after leaving their overnight roost, after bathing or getting caught in the rain, between feeding sessions or in the evening before they settle down for the night.
During the summer moult, birds might preen more frequently because new feathers need extra care.
How do birds preen?
Garden birds use several parts of their bodies to preen. Their beak is the main tool and they use it to gently nibble, comb and smooth each feather to clean it and line up the tiny hooks that keep feathers neat.
They use an oily substance from their uropygial gland, located at the base of their tail, to preen. Birds collect a little of this oil on their beak and spread it over their feathers to help keep them supple and water-resistant.
Feet are used to scratch areas they can’t easily reach with their beaks, such as heads and necks.
They also shake, fluff, and stretch their feathers and wings to help settle everything back into place.
If you watch closely, you'll often see a bird bend round to its tail first to pick up oil from the preen gland, then work methodically through its feathers with its beak. It's fascinating to watch and is a completely normal part of a healthy bird's daily routine.