Blackbird behaviour

[Action_Man]

I made a small video of this Blackbird in my garden today, i see it most days, and it usually does the same thing, lays flat on the surface and ruffles its feathers, sometimes it just lays on the surface as if its sun-bathing.

Is it trying to dislodge parasites ? ...

YouTube - Blackbird2

[loripo]

Is that what is called 'anting' - I saw a blackbird near here on a grass patch doing something similar with its wings outstretched against the grass.

[Action_Man]

Well you learn something new everyday, thank you ...

[valleyforge]

It's not anting in this case ... though 'panting' is a bit closer to what we're seeing in the video clip.

The open beak is a means of dispelling excess heat in a bird (although the same posture can also indicate a bird that is stressed).

The spreading of the wings and ruffling of the feathers is similarly done to dispel heat, and I suspect in this case also moisture. Note the repeated preening actions to straighten misaligned feathers.

Blackbirds in particular often display this 'sunning' activity ... it's always on a warm day, usually in direct sunshine on a south facing roof (such as this shed probably is), or on a sunny spot on the lawn or earthy border.

I would suspect that the bird has just recently had a bath and is doing this simply to speed the drying of his feathers and to stimulate the production of the oils that keep the feathers in good condition.

Incidentally, anting is where the bird allows ants to crawl over itself to pick up feather mites or other ectoparasites, and sometimes they'll squeeze the ant into releasing formic acid as a deterrent to said parasites. Though I've seen corvids do that, I've never witnessed a blackbird doing the same ... not sure they're quite smart enough.

[Pippa]

I have seen this many times over the years and agree with Valleyforge.

As it usually happens in full sun with plenty of shade at hand,i guess the bird enjoys it.

[Action_Man]

I thought was pretty ruffled yes, i put this down to it being an scruffy fledgeling, i did notice it had its beak open most of the time, which i thought was unusual.

He was on a south facing shed on quite a hot day, thanks for all the information ...

[Blackdog]

He's certainly a handsome young fellow!
Seeing him sitting with his beak open made me think of some of the very old pictures of blackbirds (probably crows though) in the "Four and twenty black birds baked in a pie" nursery rhyme.
I used to think they looked nothing like the birds, but that pose proved me completely wrong

Well, I am just a simple man...

[loripo]

Well it would have been pretty hot in that pie