Dust bath is the act of an animal grooming and cleansing its skin or fur from parasites

Parasitism

Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...

 by rolling or moving around within dust or sand.

Overview

Dust baths are a necessity for some animals and serve to clean the feathers, skin, or fur similar to the more common bathing in water, or wallowing in mud. Birds cower close to the ground while taking a dust bath and wiggle their bodies. This will disperse loose soil in the air. The birds spread one or both wings. The dust bath is often followed by thorough shaking to ruffle the feathers or preening. Birds without a uropygial gland

Uropygial gland

The uropygial gland, informally known as the preen gland, is a gland found in the large majority of birds that secretes an oil that birds use for preening. The chief compounds of preen oil are diester waxes called uropygiols....

 rely on dust baths to keep their feathers clean and dry.

Animals

Many animals like to roll in sand or dirt to keep the flies and insects away from them and also to help dry off after exercise or being wet. A sand roll, which is a stall or yard covered with deep sand, is often included as part of stable complexes, for use by horses after exercise.

Human dustbathing

Indigenous peoples in arid habitats are said to use sand baths instead of water baths. In medieval times children considered to be changeling

Changeling

A changeling is a creature found in Western European folklore and folk religion. It is typically described as being the offspring of a fairy, troll, elf or other legendary creature that has been secretly left in the place of a human child. Sometimes the term is also used to refer to the child who...

s in Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

 were given a ritualistic dust bath at the site of a religious statue.