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

Birds preen by using their beaks to clean, smooth, and align their feathers, a vital grooming behavior for insulation, waterproofing, flight, and parasite removal, involving oil from the tail gland and interlocking feather barbs to keep plumage in top condition for survival, often for hours daily. | Get Wild