gq: Feathers require maintenance and birds preen or groom them daily, spending an average of around 9% of their daily time on this. The bill is used to brush away foreign particles and to apply waxy secretions from the uropygial gland; these secretions protect the feathers' flexibility and act as an antimicrobial agent, inhibiting the growth of feather-degrading bacteria. This may be supplemented with the secretions of formic acid from ants, which birds receive through a behaviour known as anting, to remove feather parasites.
Question: How often do birds groom their feathers? Question: What percentage of their day do birds groom their feathers? Question: What do birds use to brush away foreign particles? Question: What is the process of removing feather parasites?