Sunning Birds and Why They Do It
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2022
- Have you seen a bird with its mouth open, feathers spread out, its body flattened on soil exposing its upper parts and head to the sun. Often people think there is something wrong, I can see how they would make that assumption, but hang on a second. As with humans, birds also like to sit under the sun. In this video, I will help give a better understanding of why you are seeing this strange sighting.
Carrion Crow anting at 03:49
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I've seen Robins do this; flat and spread like giant bird shaped pancake. The first time I saw this, it freaked me out and I thought the robin was unwell, but then after observation I realized, this seemed to be planned and part of a routine and things were okay. What I didn't understand was why it was doing it. Thank you for this video. I'm more aware now.
I'm so glad the video helped you to understand what is going on there :)
Bird shaped pancake. 😂😂👍
Thank you Lesley..I'm thinking it has something to do with feather conditioning..the minerals in the dust must do something for them..🤔😊🐦
I've had Mourning Doves, Bluejays and Brown Thrashers take up sun bathing in my garden! At first I thought they was dying!!
@@LesleytheBirdNerd is sunbathing mental well being 🤔
I'm so grateful for this information, I always thought the birds were in distress, but they're just soaking up the sun like me and my dog. "let the sun shine in."
the best ❤ Last week while birding in my local woods I turned a corner on the path to find a whole lot of Robins sunning... They looked so satisfied - all puffed up, wings and tail splayed, and of course that adorable gaping mouth and head tilt... there were so many of them, a few on the ground, and more in the trees nearby... I turned around and took a different route because I didn't want to disturb their clear joyful relaxation!! ❤
What a beautiful sight that must have been!
Aww you are so kind. I would have done the same thing. ❤ and too good about there being so many robins sunning at once. Birds are awesome.
Smart
And ive bever seen that. I would.of though 5g kil led them
My son and I watched a Bard Owl sun bath on a side walk park amid respectful human gawkers.
You are like a Bird whisperer Leslie ❤️👍💯! I have learned so much watching your videos ! Thank you! Have a great weekend! Always watching from Live Oak Florida ✌️ 🕊️ 🦜🐦🏝️😁
Thank you, Franky.
@@LesleytheBirdNerd you're welcome 👍❤️❤️
@@Frankymmaz9097 how do birds warm themselves?
Your videos always do an exceptional job of blending information with the right amount of light-heartedness and joy. Thanks, Lesley!
Aww what a very nice compliment. Thank you ❤️
A bird at a nearby wildlife sanctuary likes to sun, and apparently the keepers have had so many people come up to them after they’ve seen the bird sprawled out on the ground that they’ve put a sign up to tell passerby that she is just sunning and not gravely ill.
Oh my gosh, no way! Too cute
Lesley, I forward your videos to my granddaughter. She is a bright 19 year old who is a world traveler. Since birds are everywhere, bird watching is a portable hobby. A bird book for where you’re going, a set of convenient lightweight binoculars, pen and paper and - you’re on your way!
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
I hope they haven't forgotten their sunblock with high SPF! Love blue jays and thanks go to you.
No artificial chemicals needed in the natural world.
Your videos are relaxing and help me understand my greencheeks behaviors. The birds like them to.😘
That is awesome. :)
I love Bluejay’s feather pattern~ gorgeous~💞
Thank you for sharing this video~🤗
I know hey, their feather pattern is a work of art 😊
Lesley, you always put out such interesting and informative videos. I’ve learned so much from. Thanks!
That is so awesome, I'm glad that I manage to provide some interesting videos. Thank you for the nice comment. :)
When life gets tough;
Get Fluff
Sheryl Crow once said: "I'm gonna soak up the sun"
Show us how it's done properly Lil ones!
Thanks LesleytheBirdNerd for all your incredible insightful videos that truly inspire and invigorate our souls
Haha! Love it! Thanks for the nice comment 💜
@@LesleytheBirdNerd yes ma'am LesleytheBirdNerd you are welcome, 🙏💜thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it.
I am so glad you are here🤗🦢
@@LesleytheBirdNerd birds are so cute sunbathing 🥰
I still love that song 🌞
The other day, I found a pretty Blue Jay feather in my backyard. I brought it home and used it as a bookmark for one of my books. I’ve also been seeing more Blue Jay fledglings in my backyard more than any other year since I’ve been birding. That Blue Jay feather that I found and the Blue Jay fledglings I’ve been seeing made me think of you, Lesley. 🪶☺️🐦 Anyway, getting back on topic, I have seen Robins do this in the backyard a couple of weeks or a month or so ago. I loved seeing their orange potbellies, as they tilt their bodies toward the sun. I think I have also seen Mourning Doves do something like this, too. Also, seeing the White-Throated Sparrow sunbathing and then scratching like a dog at 0:50 was adorable to watch! 🥰 Thanks for sharing, Lesley, and I hope you’re enjoying the summer! 🌞🤩😎
Aww that is so sweet, Brianna. I can see why you would think of me, you know how much I love those birds :) I'm glad you are getting so many fledglings. What a bunch of characters those little ones are. I've never seen a Robin sunbathe yet, I would love to. Sounds so cute, and yea that White-throat was too cute. I love when they scratch like that, haha. I'm having a low-key summer this year, spending it with my birds as much as possible. Wouldn't have it any other way. I hope that your summer has been enjoyable too 🥰 🌞
@@LesleytheBirdNerd Me, too. I’m enjoying the birds and the warm weather as much as I can. 🐦🥰😎
I see a ton of birds here in Arizona moving around with their beaks kept open in the daytime. I will admit it does look a little weird, although it becomes clear that it is a natural behavior when you can see how agile and energetic they are in spite of the heat. Birds are such smart creatures.
The birds look so fluffy and cute when they do this!
I saw a crow sunning on the side of the road a few weeks ago. They're so cute.
Aww so sweet.
Such happy faces here! That gaping beak just looks like they are about to start laughing!
About 30 years ago, I worked at an office just across the street from Dulles airport. One afternoon, sitting at my cubicle near the windows, I noted an odd shadow! It looked like someone with a punk rocker hairdo...
I wheeled my chair out of my cube to see a turkey vulture sunning himself on the wide window sill outside. (And I mean *wide*. I could have stood, sat, or lain comfortably on that sill!)
I approached the buzzard and he turned his head at my approach, but did not move away. I think he understood that the glass was between us, so he felt safe.
I spent a *long* time admiring the bird, and how enormous their nostrils are. They are so huge and open, with nothing in-between them, that you could conceivably pass a pencil through one side and out the other without touching anything in or of the vulture in the process!
Wow what an awesome experience you had there. I can only imagine what vultures must look like in person. They have fascinated me for many years.
Very interesting! I had never heard of “anting”! Thanks for the informative and fun video 😊🌷👍
I'm glad you found it interesting. Thanks for the nice comment 😊
AND that's why I clean my bird baths daily, sometimes twice a day when I can...Pesky parasites.
I feel itchy now.
we have Black Vultures in Willimantic, CT and I've seen them sunning their huge wings in our driveway several times over the years. So majestic and beautiful every time!
I’ve seen vultures do this, when I was in Costa Rica in 2012. And the birds using my birdbath now sometimes go into a tree afterwards to spread their wings to dry off. I’ve never seen them do it on the ground, though! That is cool! This is such an informative video. Thank you, Lesley!
I wonder if wild birds would appreciate, (especially in the winter months, when there is little sunlight & it might be too cold to "sun"), putting some poultry or gamebird "starter" feed mixes in with the seeds & insects normally provided in your feeders.
Such "starter" feed mixes contain vitamin D3 in amounts dietarily sufficient for birds.
This could be especially beneficial in the North, where the day is shortest in winter.
Good idea. Thank you for sharing that. I'd love to try it
I betting, better than 50-50, that they'd have an instinctive attraction to such foods, especially in tough times.
I think nqture had got this. But maybe so
@@christinemott8799 I wonder how, if birds benefit from sunning when they can, and it is known that they cannot store any significant quantity of D3.
I buy 3D Nut & Berry seed in the 14-pound bags from my local W*M supercenter. Their seed mix is clean with little to no filler, full of nuts, dried fruits, and of course sunflower seed (some shelled and some still in the husk). I am not affiliated with W*M or 3D, I'm only mentioning because their seed/fruit/nut mix is fortified with vitamins and electrolytes (including vit D3!). I fill a Squirrel Buster Mini sized feeder with this mix every morning at 7 AM, the birds here love it! Almost every day by sunset, or sometimes even earlier, my feeder is empty.
Thanks. I always thought they were just drunk on some bad berries.
LOL I can see why someone might think that. Also, at 3:34, the Purple Finch’s sunning pose looks like she got drunk from some berries. 😄
I also have seen a robin do this. It alarmed me at first. Fascinating. Great video!
I have mourning doves who love to sun on my railing. I always thought it was cute how they liked to enjoy the sun, but now I see they have health benefits too.
Too sweet about the mourning doves sunning on your railing. Birds are adorable.
I recently discovered your channel while researching blue jays. Totally enjoy what you do. I am from Louisiana, and feed and water the birds here everyday. They appreciate a clean birdbath, especially in the sweltering heat we all have been experiencing. I discovered an injured, young bluejay here about a week ago. His left wing is hurt and he was hopping around the yard. I decided to intervene when I saw a stray cat approach him/her. I was pleasantly surprised to find a rehabber who specializes in bluejay care! I drove an hour to bring the bird to her. It was wonderful to see her place, and to interact with these beautiful creatures. I check on him almost daily. Unfortunately, she cannot set his wing because it had already started to heal in the broken position. So time will tell if he will be able to fly again. I want him to make it so badly. He is so cute and expressive. Wish us luck!
It's like taking a feel good pill watching Miss Lesley's bird knowledge nuggets.
This was a very interesting video. I even wrote down notes. Thanks Lesley.
Awesome. I hope it helps you out :)
I see my visiting crows do this behavior in my yard. The first time I saw this was last summer, and I thought the crow was injured. But like you say, if you keep observing them, you realize they are sunning themselves. I appreciate your comprehensive explanation as to why they do this. Now, when I observe this behavior, I think it's pretty cute, rather than feeling worried for them.
So glad you enjoyed it. And I agree, they do look rather adorable 🌞
I can totally relate! So cute seeing birds just enjoying the sun for its warmth as we do. I love watching raptors spread out their wings to warm up before flight, but I've never seen small or medium birds do this before, well apart from Hennie, my woodpigeon who comes daily and occasionally basks on the lawn on early summer mornings, she sort of loafs like a cat, then spreads her wings lol. Very rarely I catch this though as its usually at dawn like 5 or 6am when the day is just warming up. Last week I was at the NCBP in Yorkshire and I observed turkey vultures and griffons doing this in the hot afternoon sun, while also panting, so I assumed they were cooling off/airing their feathers, but I never thought about the sun killing off parasites, so thanks for the lesson and the wonderful footage 🙂
Saw a robin about 4 weeks ago on the ground doing this and thought it was not well until I approached it and realized what it was doing. Thanks for a great explanation!! By the way, it flew off.
Same for me except it was a Blue Jay...Thanks Leslie
Awesome! I'm glad the little one was alright. Birds are so fun.
Opening scene: "Jesus, don't do that, bluejay! I thought you were dead!" 🤣
Where I used to live in Massachusetts, I would often see cormorants standing upright at the side of a pond with their wings open to the sun. These birds do it to dry their feathers after swimming. They aren't as water-repellent as ducks, since water-soaked feathers make it easier to dive.
Hahahahaha Too funny.
I've seen Cormorants drying off in the sun too. Fun birds to watch
Cormorants are cool. People started getting freaked out about their rising numbers in northern Michigan about 20 years ago to the point of calling them invasive even. I'm not ecologist, but I did not find them to be invasive.
No doubt in my mind that they enjoy it! The look of joy in there face is sooooo cute and dirpy 🤪
Beautiful beautiful 🤍✨💙🤌🏼 I have a bluejay & a Crow and they love love the sun 🌞 they really enjoy it
I often see our chickens do this. They especially like to do it by our almost white colored shed because they get pretty direct sunlight and the light that bounces off the shed behind them. They all get in a line beside the shed and the next thing you know eight chickens (all different breeds) are having a wonderful time in the sun together.
Oh my, is that ever adorable. Love it ❤️
Good information there. I never see birds sunning, but I'm sure they do.
Thank you :)
I love learning stuff like this! So glad I found your channel 💜
I'm glad that you are enjoying the content 😊💜
My rehab African Grey really enjoys his daily sunshine. It makes him really content throughout the day, even after getting back inside the home. He seems more balanced and relaxed. Birds really do enjoy their me time in the sun.
I don’t recall seeing much full blown sunning bird on the ground, it is nice to see this footage! I can sort of tell from footage that this birds are content by looking at their fluff , being puffy just at the right spots.
Years ago, while driving along a country road, I came upon a really tall dying tree that was full of buzzards sunning. What a spectacular sight! There must've been 20 of them. I had to pull over. I had never seen or heard of such a thing. It was wonderful to observe them. I tried getting closer to take some pictures. But, one by one, they started moving higher up the tree from limb to limb, until they began flying away. I wasn't even that close to the tree, but they knew I wasn't supposed to be there. It was quite a treat for me, but not so much for them. I ruined their morning in the sun. Thank you for the video, Leslie. I appreciate the information.
Oh wow what a sight that must have been. Incredible
I've seen mourning doves and crows sunbathing. Nice to see them just relaxing flattened out like a loaf
One blue jay was sunning on my feeder yesterday, and my first instinct was to rush out to save him from whatever was trying to kill him. His head was back with his mouth open, wings a bit open and downward, and a giant white belly as big as a softball (well, it seemed so anyway) - my initial instinct was that he was trapped/stuck on the feeder somehow, because he did shift slightly when he saw me and I thought he was trying to pull free. In the next second, I realized that my bird was just taking in the sun, so I sat down in my chair and enjoyed it with him!
They sure do get into the mood. Really cute but disturbing when you have no idea what is going on, haha! I'm glad it was all good.
Turkey vulture: I am your king. Bow down and embrace me!
Hahaha
I've managed to make somewhat friends with a family of Common Crows living near my property. It's A family of five, the parents and their three nestlings from 2021. They still greet me and my dog with their danger cries when we go out, but have become daily beggars at my back door feeders. I treat them to peanuts and meat scraps regularly. They now consider me safe enough to stay there even as I look out the window at them. Before I couldn't even peek at them out the corner of my window. I can also call them in with my crow call. Almost daily now they flop around in the scrub grass 100 ft away out the window. I thought they were taking a dust bath like the Turkeys do, but I went out and checked and it wasn't dust it was just scrub grass. Then I noticed there were red ants running around everywhere. So like your report says it helps keep parasites off there feathers. I would add the ants bite the feathers and deposit folic acid on them as well, which keeps parasites from getting there in the first place. Pretty darn intelligent me thinks. Also to think the tradition is likely passed down from generation to generation.
Just today I had a pretty amazing wildlife encounter. I was driving my dog to the park for a run. Driving down a back road, up ahead I saw a baby rabbit no bigger than your fist a few feet into the roadway. All of a sudden a female Cardinal flew down directly in front face to face with the baby bunny. As I got closer the bunny turned and ran off the road, and the Cardinal flew off. I was pretty amazed......Was the Cardinal just curious? or was the Cardinal shooing the baby out of the road? I think the later. Pretty amazing to think a creature of another species was protecting a baby creature of a completely different species.
Curious if "anting" birds don't also rid themselves of parasites by ants just carrying them off directly.
Seems like just the thing ants WOULD do.....
That was my first thought.
Watching birds sun themselves makes me feel relaxed and calm, almost therapeutic 🙂
Cool swag 😎.
Looks like the crow was getting a snack too.
My cat loves to watch your videos and will sit in front the screen and reach up and touch the birds.
My catbirds sun themselves on the lawn, and i've seen robins do this too. Sometimes the younger birds (recently fledged) will sun themselves, as well as the adults. I usually do a double-take when I see them, because my first reaction is that they might be injured, but after a few minutes they shake themselves back together and fly off. Thanks, Lesley, for telling us about the benefits this has for the birds.
I've got Goldfinches in the Sunflowers!!!
Wanted to share SE Michigan Sanctuary..
Ravens:
4 adults 6 fledglings flew over the
Sanctuary cawing as they passed…
Showing the youth a safe feeding area…
Thank you for sharing your information with all…
That is so sweet. Love knowing you saw them doing their thing :) Thanks for sharing
What kind of birds, and where exactly if you don't mind? I'm in Temperance.
@@illuminotmereloaded6896
Ravens…
4 adults 6 fledglings
I was cleaning-refilling the water fountain
Feeling grateful
@@joniangelsrreal6262 I'm thinking I missed the Ravens part, or it wasn't there initially. Thank you!
Wow! I never realized that birds sunbathe! I'm a life-long sunbather myself....got the spots to prove it! ☺️
I always got sun for the healthy "sun tanned" look, and I still do, However, since watching Dr Berg and now you, Lesley, I have learned how beneficial it is for all God's creation to get out and enjoy His life-enhancing sunlight! There Really Are benefits to sunbathing! Even God's beautiful birds know that sunbathing is healthy!
Thank you very much, Lesley, for sharing this top notch, educational video with us!! Shalom! 💜🕊💜🌤⚘️🌻🎶💃🎶🌻⚘️🌤
The first time I saw this I thought a cat got to the Jay in my yard 😅 he popped back up like he heard me thinking.
I was watching our backyard Scrub Jays doing just this the other day. The pair have been with us for years. Now I understand why they were all puffed up on the sunny days, thanks
The first time I saw a bird splayed on an ant hill or on the grass, I too, asked myself: "What is wrong with that bird?" So I researched it and found the answer. I must compliment you though, because your explanation was much more complete.
Great video, very informative. They look so funny all splayed out like that lol
I really enjoyed this educational and entertaining video. I laughed with you when Jay fluffed off the other one " my stop! Go find your own" lol
Excellent info!
Until yesterday I had never seen a bird do this, and I'm 66 years old, been feeding birds for the last 40 years. We had a Tufted Titmouse sunning on the porch roof, outside our bedroom window. I thought it was dying! After watching it for a while, it stopped and flew away. I then thought it had been trying to cool off in the heat, but why in the direct sun? Well, now I know, thank you!
Thank you for the answer ! That is so interesting. Love your videos, so educational too!
Thank you Lesley. 😊🐦🐜🌞
Thanks Bird Nerd. Love your videos because they're so informative and you explain a great deal.
Humans should be getting at least 15 minutes of sunshine everyday also...
I love your videos and post! Thank you💜😊💜
Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you Leslie 😊
My pleasure 🌞
Thank you for helping me understand sunning & why birds do it. Turns out we like our beautiful Sun energy and need to get more of it everyday.
Thanks for this upload. It was VERY informative.
Fascinating! I’d never heard of this. Thanks Leslie.
Thanks Lesley! I’ve often seen birds, especially Bluejays spreading their wings on the redwood mulch next to the house. I never knew why.
Birds are cool. .uhhuhuh
Thanks for the informative video! I had no idea that sunning was so necessary and beneficial to a bird's health! Birds sun in my backyard all the time. Once, we had a pile of cut grass sitting in the backyard for weeks, and a cardinal would frequently come to sun himself on the pile. I think he liked it so much because it wasn't only sunny; it was soft too! :-)
Thank you Lesley!
Very welcome :)
Excellent information, as always, but wow- some beautiful footage here!
Thank you! Great information
Thank you so much for this video. So interesting!
Amazing! I wouldn’t have thought the sun could penetrate the feathers.
Sun bathing is something I have never heard of. I know that they like water. D3 is like humans. Thank you
Lesley, you are wonderful!!!
You are so kind thank you :)
So working on their tan then 😎 I have never seen this before you learn something new everyday thanks for sharing 👍
Fascinating!
Great video! Thanks👍🏻🥰
Very nice, thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much
It was nice to learn that. Thank you. I've seen squirrels lay out on my lawn, arms and legs extended like they just jumped out of an airplane to go parachute jumping. They look comfortable as heck. I always thought they were cooling off on the cooler grass, but maybe they're doing it for some of the same reasons just explained here. I even have a picture of one spreading out like that on the very end of my neighbors roof, staring down below watching what's going on, relaxing. 😄🐿️🐦
I've seen squirrels doing that as well but always in the shaded part, in that case they are definitely cooling off. I don't ever recall them sunning before though but that doesn't mean that they don't. Pretty cool that you saw that. How funny about the picture you have of one on the roof of your neighbors home, hahaha
I have seen common chaffinches sunning on our balcony and I too am convinced they enjoy it!
Years ago my garage had an awning roof on the front above the door. I once saw a pair of mourning doves 🕊 sunning with the same wing stretched out on one side like twins. Pretty neat sight!
Always informative.
Thanks so much :)
I have seen the Purple Martians with their heads actually lay over when perched, heard it is feeling comfortable to.
Your channel and lessons about birds are so wonderful. I have Blue Jays swarming at my feeder because of you! They always are looking for peanuts and I will always put out peanuts for them. There seems to be more here than last year! I even saw a few young Blue Jays hanging out gurgling yesterday. It's a fount of Blue Jays. I just have to have the peanuts and get tips from LesleytheBirdNerd to make my dreams come true!
You are so smart!
i laughed out loud when i saw the picture of the purple finch sunning itself. i just imagine it sighing "yesssssssssss!"
Lesley,this video is outstanding!
You are very kind, I'm glad you enjoyed the video 🌞
I had heard of most of this, but not about the heat killing parasites.
Thanks for sharing that info. I didn't know that.
5:49 I had no idea birds sun bathed. I will look for it. Thanks.
I knew you had the answer. I just watched Eastern Blue sunbathing. A few days ago, my big family of Bluejays
Fascinating as always! These cute little creatures are so interesting
I think so too!
We had a cardinal sunning on our front lawn last week . He looked ridiculous .
It is funny how they look while sunning haha!
Very informative!
Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!