WHY DO BIRDS TAKE DUST BATHS?
For birds that take dust baths, the activity is important for feather maintenance. The dust soaks up excess moisture and oil and probably helps to remove tiny parasites that live on feathers. It’s thought that dust also sooths irritated skin and discourages skin parasites that infest birds. Taking a dust bath may even help birds cool down on hot days. How to make a dust bath You may already have a patch of exposed sandy soil in your backyard bird habitat that’s perfect for a dust bath. If this is the case, you might just loosen up the soil a little bit and make sure your dust bath has plenty of exposure to the sun. Then just watch to see if birds are visiting.
