Blackbird Behaviour (1 Viewer)

[markbrdsly]

Sitting at the computer this morning and listening to one of 'our' Blackbird fledglings running around in the undergrowth when I looked out of the window and saw some behaviour that intrigued me.

A female Blackbird fledgling was 'lying' on the soil in the border, in full sun, wioth her wings outstretched and her tail feathers fanned out. She stayed that way for a couple of minutes - surprisingly - then stood up, shook herself and hopped away.

Is there an explanation for this type of behaviour? She was not in any distress at all and was quite able to fly but I did notice that her back and chest are still covered with soft downy feathers.

 

[helenol]

Hello Mark and welcome to Birdforum.net

What you saw was classic "sunbathing" behaviour. Very amusing to watch. I suspect it has something to do with keeping feathers their in good condition.

If you click on the following link, it will take you to a thread a started about this, not too long ago, it also includes some photos of birds "sunbathing".

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=33384&highlight=Sunbathing

Regards

 

[salty]

this is common behaviour. you just dont get to see it as much, as the birds are usually in a vunerable position, so the slightest noise/movement will make the birds stand up or take flight.

you will see crows, sparrows, finches etc etc doing this.

 

[Woundsinger]

Correct me if I am wrong but don't some species also do this on/round ant nests.Allowing the ant's to walk over the feathers and remove detritus?

I have also seen blackbirds scoop 'dust' into their beaks and deposit it over their wings and rub it in ..

 

[Mary Evelyn]

Sitting at the computer this morning and listening to one of 'our' Blackbird fledglings running around in the undergrowth when I looked out of the window and saw some behaviour that intrigued me.

A female Blackbird fledgling was 'lying' on the soil in the border, in full sun, wioth her wings outstretched and her tail feathers fanned out. She stayed that way for a couple of minutes - surprisingly - then stood up, shook herself and hopped away.

Is there an explanation for this type of behaviour? She was not in any distress at all and was quite able to fly but I did notice that her back and chest are still covered with soft downy feathers.

We have had quite a few doing just that.

 

[Mabel]

When I first saw such behavior I thought the bird was wounded or had a broken wing or something, but just as I went out, the blackbird hopped into the bush. It is indeed sunbathing and is indeed amusing to watch.

 

[markbrdsly]

Thanks everyone. I am used to watching sparrows taking dust 'baths' in the garden but have never before seen a blackbird sitting around sunbathing. Indeed, she came back to almost the same spot to do exactly the same thing not more than an hour after I posted the question.

We seem to have quite an explosion in the Blackbird population in our garden this year. Does anyone know yet if this has been a 'good' year for Blackbirds?

 

[pianoman]

Anting?

Might the blackbird be "anting" - ie allowing ants to squirt formic acid onto feathers to keep off parasites? Especially if it's returning to the same spot. Magpies are the only birds I've seen do this, but I've read that other species do as well. Don't know about blackbirds; perhaps someone can put me straight. Maybe there is an ant colony in the place in question.

 

[markbrdsly]

Hello Pianoman and sorry I did not reply to your suggestion sooner. The soil in our garden is very sandy and we do have many problems with large ants nests but I could not see one near to the spot the blackbird chose to sunbathe. I would still not cont that out as an explanation however as we have just had our annual 'flying' day when the flying ant emerge from their nests and take to the air and so the ants have been everywhere.

 

[brian sheppard]

Great forum this - took a picture of a young blackbird doing exactly as you describe. He/She was prostate with wings outstretched on a 5" gravel divide between patio and lawn in full sun, seem to me the beak was wide open as well.

 

[pianoman]

Hi Mark; reread this thread more thoroughly and realize that Woundsinger got there before me - Sorry Woundsinger. It's still my no. 1 choice for what's going on...

cheers

Andrew

Edit: The shaking of the head afterwards adds to it, because birds can go into a bit of a trance while anting.