I have noted this behavior - it is really intriguing!! - many times in the
U.S., and twice in other countries. Every single time, the bird was in direct
sunlight, and the spread-out feathers side was towards the sun.
Coincidentally, I saw this just yesterday morning. A Phoebe flew out of its
nest, perched briefly in the shade near the nest, then flew across an opening
to perch on the opposite side, in the sun. There, it spread open one side
towards the sun, and leaned away from the sun.
In a forest in Australia I saw two completely different birds, of different
families and ecological niches, sunning like this very close together on the
ground, only about 10-15 inches apart. One was a typical ground-forager, but
the other was a "flycatcher" (same local name, same foraging behavior,
different taxonomic family). I believe their proximity was because they were
both using the only open patch of direct sunlight under the canopy.
Thanks Tobin for sending this link - the article is interesting and makes
sense. I wonder why the VCU researchers chose to work with Violet-green
Swallows. I.e. what's wrong with our local Tree Swallows? Maybe they wanted
to do that experiment in a dry environment. Maybe they wanted an excuse to go
birding out West.
Steve Johnson
Fairfax, Virginia
-----Original Message-----
From: Tobin Foster <tef131@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Mon, Jun 8, 2020 10:30 am
Subject: [va-bird] Re: WHY DO BIRDS PUFF UP & LEAN (Vienna)
I think they are sunning to remove pests - see:
https://www.audubon.org/news/hot-bothered-and-parasite-free-why-birds-sun-themselves.
________________________________
It was sunny and in the 70s on 6/7 when I captured a male cardinal puff up
his feathers and lean to one side while looking like he was âvegging out.â
Can anyone explain this behavior? I love catching it in the summer. I
photographed the cardinal on the W&OD Trail in Vienna but I also recently
saw 3 barn swallows do it on a sidewalk in Maryland.  Also, I saw these
birds on the trail before and after the cardinal: 5 male indigo buntings, a
male yellowthroat, a male immature orchard oriole, 2 tree swallows, 2
bluebirds, 3 house finches, & assorted other birds.
My private pix are temporarily here:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/olympusbjs/013762
- Barb, Fairfax
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