A Gorgeous Mallard Preening 

I was hiking ACFL North and stopped at the lookout area on Big Beaver Pond where this mallard was preening. It was a “wait for it” moment, wanted to get the wing stretch. I had an exceedingly small window to shoot though, the mallard did a wonderful job staying right where I needed him. He was preening away for some time and would keep looking at me. I was able to get a great series of captures of the grooming process.  

You never get a chance to really see the beauty of the process of preening, it happens so quickly. The series of images lets you really enjoy the details of preening. 

Preening is a mallard’s way of grooming its feathers to keep them in the best condition by removing dust, dirt, and parasites. 

During preening, mallards also align each feather ensuring that it is in the best position relative to the closest feathers on the body.  

Preening can be a calming and relaxing activity for ducks. 

Preening can help to regulate their body temperature on cold or hot days. 

Ducks preen their feathers from head to tail, starting with their head and neck, then their back, wings, and finally their belly. 

Ducks often preen in the sun, which helps to dry their feathers and make them more waterproof. 

Ducks can spend up to twenty percent of their day preening. 

Preening helps to stimulate the growth of new feathers. 

Ducks have a special preen gland at the base of their tail called the uropygial gland, which produces an oil that they use to waterproof their feathers. 

Ducks preen their feathers using their beaks. They use their beaks to spread the oil from their uropygial gland over their feathers. 

Preening is an important part of a duck’s life. It helps to keep their feathers clean, waterproof, and in good condition. 

Overall, duck preening is an important behavior that helps to keep ducks healthy and in good condition. It is a natural behavior that ducks have evolved to do, and it is something that they enjoy doing.

Watching Mallards preen makes for a great outing!

Big Beaver Pond, Anacortes

03.22.2023

All images are © Chris LeBoutillier

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