As backyard birders, we want to keep our feathery friends healthy. We clean our bird feeders, provide fresh water, and supply a variety of food options to attract more of these beauties. To keep your birds even healthier, you can offer them a patch of dirt. Perhaps you loathe those bare areas under a tree in your yard, but for your bird friends, they are the perfect spot to take a dust bath. Sure, birds bathe in water, too, but dry soil offers something water cannot: a release of grease and parasites. With both wet and dry bathing options, your yard will practically be a spa for fowl. Perhaps you should consider adding on facial treatments and cucumber water — okay, that’s probably too much.
Leaving that patch of bare dirt for birds is something we can learn about from their larger relatives: chickens. Those with flocks have long known the benefits of dust baths. Chickens make a shallow crevice in a dirt patch, then wallow around, enjoying their bath as they get that soil in the nooks and crannies between their feathers. The soil absorbs body oils while ejecting parasites. Although wild birds are not exactly like chickens, leaving a spot for them to take a dust bath has many of the same benefits.
Leaving some soil for dust baths
Offering a spot for birds to take dust baths may be as simple as a bit of lawn negligence. It’s not laziness — it’s to help the birds. A shady spot under a tree near where your bird feeders and bird bath are located is perfect. There, birds can have a nice meal and a drink of water. Then, they can “clean up” in their dusty bowl of happiness. If you have never seen a bird take a dust bath, it is worth leaving a patch of bare soil for that alone. Birds are always fun to watch, but they are extra cute as they burrow and flop around to cover themselves with dry soil. Dust baths are almost like the bird version of dry shampoo, absorbing excess oil so they continue to look fabulous.
To make sure you are not doing more harm than good for your bird friends, never use chemicals in that area — synthetic or organic. The soil naturally offers everything the birds need to rid themselves of parasites, so there’s no need to provide extra protection. Birds are particularly sensitive to pesticides, as well as insecticides, fertilizers, and chemicals in general. Leave the soil alone and let mother nature handle it. If you’re considering leaving a bare patch of soil in your yard, just tell your inquisitive friends, “It’s for the birds.”
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