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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

A study explores how birds rearrange feathers after flights through gusts and foliage. The durability of bird feathers is evident in the ease with which birds preen and repair ruffled feathers using ...

Despite their famously fancy feathers, flamingos don't spent more time preening than other waterbirds, new research shows. Despite their famously fancy feathers, flamingos don't spent more time ...