23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Dusty bath
This image shows a green bee-eater taking a dust bath at sunset. Green bee-eaters often dust bathe to remove excess oil from their feathers, preventing them from sticking together, improving flight, and keeping them warm. It also helps remove tiny parasites like lice and mites. From thousands of images, this frame is my favourite — a green bee-eater, framed in golden winter light, in the midst of its graceful dust bath.
Photo Detail
| Date Taken: | 01.2025 |
| Date Uploaded: | 12.2025 |
| Photo Location: | Aurangabad, India |
| Camera: | NIKON Z 8 |
| Copyright: | © Sarthak Agrawal |