House Sparrow Dust Bath

Dust bath may sound like an oxymoron, but it is something that many birds do to clean themselves and to get rid of parasites. House sparrows (Passer domesticus) are pretty social, and often take dust baths together, which is what you can see in the photos below. Originally from the Middle East, house sparrows have been following humans around for thousands of years and now live practically everywhere. In the Caribbean their range is still expanding. On St. Martin there are groups scattered around the island, mostly in urban areas.

One Response to “House Sparrow Dust Bath”

  1. Valérie Ménoret Says:

    Mark,

    I prefer the 4/7 photos… Very cute.

    KisS
    Valérie