African penguins cannot easily preen their own heads and necks, and as such, participate in allopreening, or the preening of each other.
African penguins cannot easily preen their own heads and necks, and as such, participate in allopreening, or the preening of each other. This practical behavior allows for cleaning and rearranging of feathers and aids in the removal of parasites, such as ticks.
Black-footed penguins often bathe within a few meters of the shoreline while shaking their bodies around wildly and preening themselves with their beaks and feet. When a penguin is by himself, using the foot to preen is the only option for reaching his head.
Sources: (Crawford, et al., 2001, 2006; Frost, Siegfried, & Burger, 1976; Frost, Siegfried, & Cooper, 1976; Pearce, 2011)
Image: einszweifrei
