iN PHOTOS: Splish, splash birds take a bath in Kamloops, Okanagan

These birds were spotted this spring bathing and preening in rivers and lakes in the Thompson-Okanagan region.  Birds have to bath regularly to keep their feathers clean, to regulate body temperature, keep away parasites and attract mates.  Some species are more apt to take a dip in a puddle to refresh their feathers while others, like wrens and water thrushes, completely submerge themselves under the water, according to Bird Fact https://birdfact.com/bird-behavior/bathing-and-preening/bathing-behaviors . Ducks, swans and geese will dive under water and preen their wet feathers while they swim on the surface, while shorebirds wade into shallow water and dip their heads and wings. Swifts and swallows swoop down to skim the surface of the water and spray it all over themselves by fanning out their tails. Some bird species will bath in the rain, fluffing out their feathers to get as much rain as possible then shake off the excess water. In regions where water and rainfall is scarce, birds adapt by coating their feathers with dust and shaking vigorously. After getting wet, birds shake their tails, vibrate their wings and fluff out their feathers to dry off. They will preen by spreading an oil from a gland near the base of their tails across their feathers to keep them waterproof. Often birds will splash in the water to simply cool off on hot days. If you have wildlife photos you want to share, send them to news@infonews.ca mailto:news@infonews.ca . To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie mailto:sainslie@infonews.ca  or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .