...in part. Each afternoon, just on sunset, I have noticed the choughs gather at this spot and fluff about for quite a considerable time before flying off to roost. My curiosity got the better of me and I hid myself early and waited for their arrival. They are filling their feathers with dust.
They pick it up in the beaks and appear to blow it into their feathers like spraying on perfume. I imagine this might be to chase lice. But I'm still mystified by the other activity i observed. They are placing small pieces of plant matter into their feathers as well. Why? I have no idea.
dust bathing is performed to both give an abrasive cleaning and assist removing parasites. I believe the plant matter is simply to assist with this abrasive cleansing.
it almost seems counterproductive to clean using dirt but it is quite effective.
it is also social behaviour for some species and they leave pheromones galore and can be part of their territory marking 🤓
@ladymagpie Great minds think alike. That's exactly what I though. Night time ablutions followed by a good dusting with powder for a really fresh feel.
@koalagardens Thank you. I was hoping you'd be able to share some light on the issue. I would believe that about the plant matter too because as you can see in the photo it is only tiny stuff. @terryliv
September 12th, 2021
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it almost seems counterproductive to clean using dirt but it is quite effective.
it is also social behaviour for some species and they leave pheromones galore and can be part of their territory marking 🤓