How is this robin using its habitat?
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Robins often splash and chirp as they bathe. Are they enjoying themselves? Only the robins know for sure! Photo: Tom Grey

Did You Notice?
It looks like the robin is bathing. Robins bathe as often as possible, and they'll use any kind of water they can find: ponds, mud puddles, snow melt, bird baths, and even sprinklers. Sometimes many robins will line up to wait for a bath!

Did you see the robin's erect head feathers? Different parts of the bird's feathers rise up to allow water to reach their skin.

What's with all that splashing? That's part of the program! Robins have hollow bones, so they can't submerge themselves. Instead, they bathe in shallow water and splash it up to wet their backs and heads.

Why do robins bathe so much?

• A robin's feathers have crevices where dirt can get stuck. So it uses its beak to "preen," pecking off dirt and "zipping" the feathers back together. It does this by applying oil from a small gland near its tail. The oil keep its feathers soft and pliable. But too much of it makes the feathers clump, so the bird must wash them off.
  
  
• If the robin's feathers got sopping wet, it would have trouble flying. So it takes many short baths rather than one long soak.
  
  
• Bathing helps keep skin parasites off robins. (The parasites are tiny animals that live on and harm a robin's skin.)

Winter robins flock together at a bird bath. Photo: Barbara Stanton

What about your robins?
Does your schoolyard or backyard have places where robins can drink and bathe? If not, you can help them out by filling a bowl or bird bath with one or two inches of water. Then keep your eyes peeled! (In warm weather, you'll need to replace the water every few days.)