Watch a swan preen its feathers

‪@TrumpeterSwanSociety‬
A trumpeter swan is standing on ice during the winter. This short video shows it ‘preening’ its feathers.
It is important for swans to keep warm and dry, especially in the winter. Their feathers need to be clean, in good condition and lined up properly all year long for swimming, feeding, flying and nesting.
Swans take care of their feathers through preening which happens frequently each day. The swan’s bill is very important for preening. Their long necks help make sure they can reach all their feathers.
There is a special preening or oil gland at the base of the swan’s tail, facing upward just underneath its top tail feathers. Its official name is the uropygial (pronounced yoor-uh-PI’-jee-uhl) gland. Swans, like most birds, have a small set of feathers coming out of the tip of the oil gland, like a candle wick.
The bird uses the edge of its bill to get some oil from the gland, and then while “preening” its feathers, the oil is also spread to the feathers.
Staying waterproof takes more than spreading this special oil on its feathers. Feathers need to be clean and lined up properly to help keep them waterproof. Swans do this by also using their bill. Here you can see the swan using its bill on its breast feathers to align and fluff the feathers to make sure they are lined up just right.
Video by Margaret Smith, Executive Director, Trumpeter Swan Society
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