From Iowa Raptor Project
Aldo the Barred Owl taking in as much summer sun as possible.
this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2025
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Gettin' that D! Vitamin D of course. Sure knows how to relax!
Birds do need sun to get vitamin D like we do, but it's more roundabout. Their preening oil contains the vitamin precursors, they sit in the sun and it gets converted to actual vitamins, and then when they preen their feathers the next time, they ingest the synthesized vitamin D.
So interesting... You are truly a fountain of knowledge anon! Quenching our ignorance one refreshing fact at a time.
Every time I start to feel I know a lot about owls, I keep finding new things. So I'm still learning every day along with you. Like the stuff in the Boobook thread today. All new to me too!