Smoke Bathing Birds: The Feathered Fans of Fire

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If you’ve ever seen a bird hanging out near a smoky campfire or hopping around smoldering brush like it’s checking the grill temperature, don’t worry—it’s not trying to roast marshmallows.

Some birds actually seek out smoke and ash—on purpose. And no, it’s not for the aesthetics. It’s medicine.

Welcome to the feathered version of pest control: smoke bathing.

In addition to “anting” (where birds use insects to clean their feathers), birds have been observed perching in smoke or rolling in cooling ash beds, especially after wildfires or controlled burns.

Species like:

• Blue Jays
• Eastern Towhees
• House Sparrows
• Various woodpeckers
• Even raptors like hawks and kites

have all been spotted engaging in what looks like post-apocalyptic sunbathing.

So, what’s really going on?

Smoke contains natural compounds like formic acid, phenols, and volatile oils—many of which are toxic to mites, lice, ticks, and fungal spores.

By exposing their feathers and skin to smoke or dusting themselves in cool ash, birds are effectively:

• Killing parasites
• Reducing skin inflammation
• Preventing microbial infections
• Suffocating mite eggs

It’s the avian version of flea powder, with the added bonus of being completely instinctive—and, frankly, kind of hardcore.

While some species appear to be attracted to smoke, others are opportunistic—using burned logs, trees, or the smoldering remains of brush piles for hygiene and grooming.

There are even reports of birds collecting burnt plant material for nesting, likely due to its antimicrobial qualities. That’s right—their homes are pest-resistant too.

These birds aren’t pyromaniacs—they’re instinctive health practitioners using what the land provides, even when that land is still smoldering.

Smoke bathing might not be as well-known as singing or preening, but it’s one of the cleverest self-care strategies in the bird world.

While we’re lighting citronella candles and paying for bug zappers, birds are out here casually smoke-bathing after a wildfire and calling it a spa day.