This article is about a maintenance behaviour in birds. For similar behaviour in other animals, see Personal grooming.
When preening, a bird (such as this red lory) draws individual feathers through its beak, realigning and re-interlocking the barbules.
Preening is a maintenance behaviour found in birds that involves the use of the beak to position feathers, interlock feather barbules that have become separated, clean plumage, and keep ectoparasites in check. Feathers contribute significantly to a bird's insulation, waterproofing and aerodynamic flight, and so are vital to its survival. Because of this, birds spend considerable time each day maintaining their feathers, primarily through preening. Several actions make up preening behaviour. Birds fluff up and shake their feathers, which helps to "rezip" feather barbules that have become unhooked. Using their beaks, they gather preen oil from a gland at the base of their tail and distribute this oil through their feathers. They draw each contour feather through their bill, nibbling it from base to tip.
Over time, some elements of preening have evolved to have secondary functions. Ritualised preening has become a part of some courtship displays, for example. It is also a displacement activity that can occur when birds are subjected to two conflicting drives. Though primarily an individual function, preening can be a social activity involving two or more birds – a behaviour known as allopreening. In general, allopreening occurs either between two members of a mated pair or between flock members in a social species. Such behaviour may assist in effective grooming, in the recognition of individuals (mates or potential sexual partners), or in reducing or redirecting potential aggressive tendencies in social species. Most allopreening is confined to the head and neck, smaller efforts being directed towards other parts of the body.
Ingestion of pollutants or disease-causing organisms during preening can lead to problems ranging from liver and kidney damage to pneumonia and disease transmission. Injury and infection can cause overpreening in caged birds, as can confining a bird with a dominant or aggressive cage mate.
northern English dialect preen meaning "pierce" or "pin", due to the "pricking" action of the bird's beak during preening. Preening is a maintenance behaviour...
Look up preen or preening in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Preen may refer to: Preening, personal grooming of a bird's feathers especially by using...
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grooming Black swan preening Peregrine falcon preening its feathers A house sparrow cleans itself in moving water while a mallard preens in the background...
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feathers for preening, which gives a soft and silky feel to their plumage. They have no preen gland or at times have very rudimentary preen glands, so oil...
eating, manipulating and carrying objects, killing prey, or fighting), preening, courtship, and feeding young. The terms beak and rostrum are also used...
physical condition of feathers are maintained by preening often with the application of secretions from the preen gland. Birds also bathe in water or dust themselves...
from the side of the bill and traps any food. The pecten is also used to preen feathers and to hold slippery food items. Diving ducks and sea ducks forage...
used for budgerigars, because of their habit of close perching and mutual preening, and their long term pair-bonds. The budgerigar was first described by...
of a duck directly around the preen gland (uropygial gland); they are very buoyant due to preen oil produced by the preen gland. They are used when tying...
behaviour involves synchronised performances of various actions such as preening, pointing, calling, bill clacking, staring, and combinations of such behaviours...
as anting, in which they use the formic acid from the ants to assist in preening, as it is useful in keeping them free of parasites. According to an article...
produces an oily secretion that waterproofs the feathers when the bird preens. There are scales on the legs, feet and claws on the tips of the toes. Mammals...
to pace and preen themselves vigorously. These actions have been interpreted as displacement activities, and similar pacing and preening can be used as...
was and whether or not it needed preening, so their presence in penguins may seem inconsistent, but penguins also preen extensively. The emperor penguin...
days, chicks mainly lie down on the nest substrate. They are capable of preening on their second day but their parents keep them warm until around 20 days...
grunts and hisses. Condors bathe frequently and can spend hours a day preening their feathers. Condors also perform urohidrosis, or defecate on their...
as well as by the fused vertebrae. The large bill assists in fighting, preening, constructing the nest, and catching prey. A feature unique to the hornbills...
with up to a hundred birds participating at once, and is followed by preening and sometimes group singing. Sudan golden sparrows, seen here on the Red...
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