Uropygial Gland

[denise ippolito]

I wanted to share this with some who may have never gotten a good look at one-like me.:)

[Julie Brown]

Cool view. Do they use this for preening?

[denise ippolito]

Julie, The gland secretes an oil that the birds use for preening.:) I never saw one before.
Here is a better definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uropygial_gland

[John Chardine]

Thanks for posting Denise.

The secretions from the gland are actually quite complex and include waxes and oils. The bird spreads the secretion over its plumage and it acts like a hair conditioner or dressing to make the feathers more slippery. Thus any imperfections in the micro-structure of the feathers are easily repaired, sometimes just by a shake or a bathe. As mentioned in previous posts, outer, contour feathers are naturally waterproof as a result of their microstructure which prevents water from penetrating because of its surface tension. A feather washed completely of the oil gland secretion is still waterproof, so we know that the secretion itself does not produce waterproof feathers.

[denise ippolito]

John, Thank you for the interesting information you provided.:)