Chehalis is engaging in a natural behavior known as preening. Birds, including bald eagles, preen by using their beaks to groom and maintain their feathers, removing dirt or parasites, and ensuring the feathers lay properly for insulation and flight. Notice how she slides her beak along her longer feathers? Each feather is made of many smaller interlocking filaments, which can become separated. Chehalis can be seen zipping those filaments back together as she preens! You may also see her stimula

If you want to take a unique bird photo, try snapping while they’re preening. Birds move around a lot when they are doing a bit of feather maintenance, giving you an opportunity to possibly capture something a little different. #wildlifephotography #birdphotography #naturephotography #nature #sandhillcrane | Images By John Delhotal