Dust bathing

[2] In some mammals, dust bathing may be a way of transmitting chemical signals (or pheromones) to the ground which marks an individual's territory.

Birds crouch close to the ground while taking a dust bath, vigorously wriggling their bodies and flapping their wings.

An ornithologist is able to detect the presence of quail in an area by spotting the circular indentations left behind in the soft dirt, some 7–15 cm (3–6 in) in diameter.

Birds without a uropygial gland (e.g., the emu, kiwi, ostrich and bustard) rely on dust bathing to keep their feathers healthy and dry.

The average duration of a single dust bath was longer in food particles compared with lignocellulose and wood shavings.

[12] A 1991 experiment by Van Liere, et al. of the Wageningen Agricultural University of the Netherlands could only increase the duration of dust bathing bouts marginally by spreading lipids, equivalent to 1–2 months' accumulation, on birds' feathers.

Moreover, removal of the oil gland in chicks, which eliminated the main source of lipids, had no effect on subsequent dust bathing.

This is considered to be a welfare concern and as a consequence, dust bathing has been closely studied in domestic egg-laying hens.

[23] It has been suggested that wallowing (a behavior similar to dust bathing) may serve functions such as thermoregulation, providing a sunscreen, ecto-parasite control and scent-marking.