I noticed a Magpie Robin at a Nutmeg tree at our gate around 7.45 AM on most days when I leave the gate to go to work. It did not interest me to wait to watch the grooming exercise till I received the vivid description of the bio-physiology of grooming of birds from Dr Sanjeeth Peter who wrote on grooming as an introduction of the calendar he designed and published for 2023.
The bird's asset to fly depends on how well they keep the feathers. They dry the feathers and rub them with oil from uropygial glands. 'The feathers are specialised- small fluffy ones near the chest and the lower abdomen trap body heat and help them keep warm or even absorb water like a sponges, that they can carry water to their thirsty chicks...' Sanjeth wrote three paragraphs about the ritual of bathing of birds and grooming, in his one page letter.
I felt fascinated by his descriptive style that I decided to pause to see the process of grooming that this Magpie Robin practised. Although it took half an hour of delay to go to work, it was a sight worth watching- shaking the body, opening and closing the wings, reaching out with the beaks all around the body, continuous shivering movement of the body, etc.! As I watched the video, I found a pattern of repeating the steps of the ritual in an orderly fashion.
A small bird with a skill and habit for its wellness! It is 'Self care, the ME time, following good routine, taking risks to emerge stronger and brighter-so many things that bathing birds can teach us', that is how Sanjeeth closed his letter.
M C Mathew(text and photo)
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