Many years ago in Brisbane, I kept homing pigeons - the regular variety and
also the exhibition variety, known (in those days at least) as Showpen
Homers.
Both of those varieties used to sunbathe like that (usually in a morning sun
patch on the floor of their coop) and they would also rain/water bathe in
the same way - generally on the back lawn under a fine spray from the garden
hose. They would preen extensively after the water bathing - so I always
assumed it was a grooming-related function.
They never seemed to groom much after the sun bathing though. I read
somewhere (it was over 25 years ago and I cant recall if it was in a pigeon
book or a more general bird book) that the function of sun bathing wasnt
clearly understood but that it was thought to possibly be related to a
de-lousing effect. My birds were regularly treated with an anti feather
louse powder and didnt have lice - but they regularly sunbathed anyway, so
maybe the behaviour is innate or maybe it has a purpose other than
dissuading lice.
In Canberra, I have seen Magpies sunbathing in a similar way.
Bruce
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