Green herons don't do Facebook, and they certainly don't use Twitter. They don't play bridge or read novels. Not that they don't have time to fill. We've often had green herons visit the swampy pond ...

Feathers are of ultimate importance to birds — crucial for flying, protection from rain, heat and cold and, during nesting season, attracting mates and defending territories. No wonder, then, that ...

I thought my cat was bad. The incessant licking to keep himself clean. He’s got to be the cleanest cat ever. Then I watched a northern mockingbird preening itself. It went on for as long as I could ...

In birds, preening helps maintain feather health and hygiene. Allopreening in the process of one bird preening another. Allopreening helps access difficult-to-reach spots to keep feathers well groomed ...

Dec. 8, 2003 – University of Utah biologists twirled louse-infested bird feathers on an electric fan and flew pigeons and doves like kites on strings in a study that found small lice stick to small ...

Some people have the mistaken idea that birds are dirty, vermin-ridden creatures, a view that's very wide of the mark. I can't quite fathom where this odd notion comes from, unless it's based on the ...