Preening is a birds way of grooming their feathers to keep them in the best condition. Preening allows the birds to secrete an oil-like substance which aids in the waterproofing process. Throughout rehabilitation, waterproofing is tested to ensure that when they are released, they can safely dive to catch prey. Why is this bird getting a shower? Rehabbers look for the water to roll of their backs to ensure proper waterproofing. Check out this video of our Laughing Gull patient getting waterproof

Have you ever watched closely to see what a bird does when it's preening? Here's an Antarctic Tern, filmed recently in South Africa, adjusting and realigning its feathers to keep them in good shape. Watch how it reaches back to the base of its tail—it's collecting oil from an organ known as the uropygial gland (or preen gland). Birds spread this oil across their plumage in order to condition and waterproof their feathers. Thanks to Daniel Engelbrecht in Western Cape, South Africa for sharing thi

Feathers wear with time and use and birds preen these using preening oil that is secreted from the preening glands. However, any excess oil on bird feathers may be a hindrance in smooth flight. To overcome this, birds indulge in dust baths. Dust absorbs excess oil from the feathers and prevents the feathers from getting greasy. Oil-soaked dust can easily be shed when birds shake their bodies and flight feathers. This also removes any parasites like lice, feather mites etc. This Common Hoopoe was