long bills – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Long billed Birds and Preening

By Mia McPherson|2021-09-09T04:06:18-05:00March 7th, 2014|Categories: American Oystercatchers, American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Long-billed Curlews, Roseate Spoonbills|Tags: American Oystercatcher, American White Pelican, curlew, curlews, Haematopus palliatus, long bill, long bills, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, oystercatcher, oystercatchers, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelican, pelicans, Platalea ajaja, preening, Roseate Spoonbill, shorebirds, spoonbill, spoonbills, uropygial gland, wading birds|

Preening in birds is essential for keeping their feathers clean, arranged correctly and for some birds it is a way to distribute oils from the uropygial gland which helps to keep the feathers clean and healthy.