Feathers require maintenance and birds preen or groom them daily, spending an average of around 9% of their daily time on this. The bill is used to brush away foreign particles and to apply waxy secretions from the uropygial gland; these secretions protect the feathers' flexibility and act as an antimicrobial agent, inhibiting the growth of feather-degrading bacteria. This may be supplemented with the secretions of formic acid from ants, which birds receive through a behaviour known as anting, to remove feather parasites.
Feathers require maintenance and birds preen or groom them daily , spending an average of around 9 % of their daily time on this . The bill is used to brush away foreign particles and to apply waxy secretions from the uropygial gland ; these secretions protect the feathers ' flexibility and act as an antimicrobial agent , inhibiting the growth of feather - degrading bacteria . This may be supplemented with the secretions of formic acid from ants , which birds receive through a behaviour known as anting , to remove feather parasites .
What do birds use to brush away foreign particles?
What do birds use to brush away foreign particles ?
The bill
The bill