# birds bathing in dust?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birds-bathing-in-dust/116845
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 1, 2002, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birds-bathing-in-dust/116845 "2002-07-01T16:12:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2002, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birds-bathing-in-dust/116845/1 "2002-07-01T16:12:04Z")
This is a phenomenon that seems to be more prevalent on hot, humid days, though I haven’t actually done charts or anything. I’ve often noticed small birds (which I’ve tentatively identified as sparrows) happily cheeping and wriggling around in the dust as though it were a lovely cool birdbath. It’s not just one or two sparrows deluded by Washington humidity, either.
So why are they doing this? For some reason, I’m quite perturbed by their behavior.
---
### Author:  [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birds-bathing-in-dust/116845/2 "2002-07-01T17:10:09Z")
Dust bathing keeps their feathers in shape and protects against parasites. I don’t know how, unfortunately.
---
### Author:  [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birds-bathing-in-dust/116845/3 "2002-07-01T18:45:35Z")
From [Bird’s Eye View: A Practical Compendium for Bird Lovers](http://www.vehiculepress.com/bird.html) by Dr. David Bird:
> [@](#):
>
> Bathing in the dirt sounds like an oxymoron, but not to the birds. Lots of backyard birds like quail and sparrows like a good dust bath. The function is not well understood, but it is probably to control ectoparasites like lice and mites.
Other sites mention that the dust can also absorb excess oil in the feathers. Also, Dr. Bird’s name raises the question of whether his career was predestined, or did he change his name? Inquiring minds etc.
---
### Author:  [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2002, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birds-bathing-in-dust/116845/4 "2002-07-01T21:52:54Z")
I’ve also seen birds doing this and always assumed it was a defence against skin parasites.
Another wierd thing some birds do is [anting](http://birds.ecoport.org/Behaviour/EBanting.htm), in which they either pick ants up and apply them to their feathers, or allow the ants to crawl all over them squirting out formic acid. It’s often assumed that this is also anti-parasite behaviour, but nobody seems to know for sure.
---
### Author:  [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/birds-bathing-in-dust/116845/5 "2002-07-01T23:01:16Z")
IANABE, but my personal opinion is that this only happens with males at mating time and that they are actually masturbating.
😃