Dust bath of a Bengal Bushlark (Mirafra assamica)

[Samrat Sarkar]

Generally, birds make dust bath for-

1. The dust bath is an important part for the day to day maintenance of their feathers.

2. Dust absorbs the excessive preen oil from the feathers. Dust also helps to make loose dry skins and other foreign materials and let them get out at the time of preening.

3. Getting rid of additional preen oil helps the feathers from becoming too much oily and they remain fit for flying. It also helps the body temperature remain balanced.

4. The feathers remain free from parasites like mites, lice and so on.

The whole event of dust bath lasts for almost five to six minutes. They return to their favorite place for next dust bath on the next day.


Observations, Photographs and originally written in Bengali by - Samrat Sarkar.
Translated in English by - Biswajit Debnath and Arun Acherjee.
Equipment used - Canon EOS 7D + Canon 500mm f4 IS II USM + Monopod
Place - Nadia, West Bengal, India.
Special thanks to - Obviously Internet!!