Why Do Birds Bathe? 



335 



and we are told that dust-bathing is at least a partial cure for feather-lice. 

 Water-bathing doubtless is a cleansing operation, but why is it taken? I 

 never saw a Robin or a Grackle with muddied plumage. Why do they do it? 

 How often? What other birds do it? If some of our young bird-folk would 

 make a list of the birds they have seen bathing, together with the manner, 

 the time of day, and season of the year, it would afford new and valuable 

 light, and would, I think, show that no birds outside of the perchers, and Ducks 

 and the Gulls, and the swimming birds ever take a water-bath. So far as I 

 know, the only one to take all these kinds — sun-bath, dust-bath, and water- 

 bath — is the despised English Sparrow, to which habits perhaps its vigorous 

 health is largely due. I think I have even seen it wallowing in the snow when 

 no other bathing opportunity was at hand. 



As a beginning, I tabulate my observations of various groups, etc. No doubt 

 they will be greatly modified by fuller study. 



Divers 



Gulls 



Ducks 



Grouse 



Barn-fowl 



Pigeons 



Eagles 



Hawks 



Owls 



Pigeons 



Sparrows 



English Sparrow 

 Robin 



Any time 



Any time of day 

 when the sun is 

 strong 



The heat of the day 



