My Favorite Bird Behaviors
The list of fascinating bird behaviors is endless. Birds of paradise fan their feathers and strut to impress potential mates. Raptors dive-bomb their prey with unfathomable speed. Before mating, bald eagles ascend, lock talons, and fall from the sky together, releasing each other at the very last second. My favorite behaviors are admittedly less thrilling, but their mundanity means that you can probably spot them on your next walk around the neighborhood.
Dust Bathing
I first witnessed dust bathing while visiting a friend in Averill Park, New York. Her family keeps chickens, and she was in the process of raising a new generation of adorable chicks. The chicks were old enough to enjoy brief moments outside, so we carried them from their indoor abode to the backyard. Forming boundaries with our legs to keep the chicks from wandering away, we watched them waddle around and acclimate to the unfamiliar environment.
Video Credit: Nina Foster
I was puzzled when one of the chicks sat down and started ruffling her feathers, kicking up loose soil with her feet, and nuzzling the ground. My friend explained that the chick was taking a dust bath, which helps with parasite prevention. Dust bathing can smother or create an inhospitably dry environment for the tiny parasites that hide amongst their feathers, as well as improve skin health and minimize oil buildup.
Chickens aren’t the only bird to engage in this behavior; many songbirds dust bathe to condition their feathers. Nowadays, I frequently spot house sparrows dust bathing in the dirt patches of D.C.
Ptiloerection (AKA Turning into a Fluffy Ball of Feathers)
On a cold day, birds perched in trees and bushes may look like little pom-poms, with puffed feathers that make them appear almost twice their normal size. This is known as ptiloerection. Feathers provide excellent insulation from the cold, much like the jackets that keep us warm in winter. When birds fluff up their feathers, they trap more air to warm with their body heat.
Birds may puff up for other reasons, such as being sick or trying to appear large and intimidating when threatened, but heat conservation is the most common explanation. Ptiloerection not only keeps birds warm, but also makes them even more endearing as chubby balls of fluff in frigid weather.
Mourning Dove Courtship Displays
Courtship displays are a birder’s version of “The Bachelorette.” We watch in awe as male suitors attempt to woo potential mates and wonder whether they have done enough to get the rose.
I once had the pleasure of watching a mourning dove courtship display while birding at JFK Park in Cambridge, Massachusetts. You can tell a male and female mourning dove apart by slight differences in their plumage: Males have a pink-tinted chest and blue-gray crown while females are a duller, plain brown. The pursuit began when a male flew up to a female on a balcony ledge, boasting loud wingbeats. Upon landing, he approached her with a charge, his head and tail positioned horizontally on the same plane. As he got closer, he started to bow repeatedly, punctuating each action with a loud coo.
Female mourning doves respond to courtship displays by flying away (the male often follows), ignoring the male, or by permitting copulation and forming a pair bond. In our case, the female flew to a nearby tree branch. Unfortunately, we had to leave for class before we could see whether he followed. I still wonder if he ever got the rose.
