Sandgrouse have a special trick for carrying water to their fledglings

An up-close look at the belly feathers of a desert bird reveals complex coiled structures that absorb and trap water, allowing Namaqua sandgrouse to transport water inside their plumage.

Male Namaqua sandgrouse (Pterocles namaqua) make daily trips to watering holes in South Africa, where they soak their lower feathers in water. The water-logged birds then fly up to 30 kilometres to their thirsty young, which suck water from their father’s feathers. Researchers first discovered that these feathers had coiled filaments called barbules more than 50 years ago. But no one had taken a closer look.

To see the special …