Martin Willis / Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) pair preening during courtship, Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia

Nick Garbutt / King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), two sleeping on snow. Grytviken, South Georgia. March.

Staffan Widstrand / African Spoonbill (Platalea alba) preening, Zimanga Private Nature Reserve, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Suzi Eszterhas / Leopard (Panthera pardus) mother grooming five-week-old cub, Jao Reserve, Botswana

John Shaw / Black-browed albatross pair (Thalassarche melanophris) mutual grooming during copulation. New Island, Falkland Islands, November.

Ben Gillett / Slow motion clip of a female Appaloosa horse grooming a male, Bristol, England, UK, May.

John Cancalosi / Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) chick stretching its wings in nest in a Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), is groomed by its parent, Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA, May.

Marie Read / Roseate spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) adult in breeding plumage preening tail feathers, Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA, January.

David Pattyn / Great white egret (Egretta Alba) preening its feathers, Valkenhorst Nature Reserve, Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, July

David Gallan / Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) grooming itself in a tree, East Gippsland, Australia, December.

John Chan / Male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) cleaning its beak on a twig, Southern California, USA, January.

Karine Aigner / Cuban parakeets (Psittacara euops) preening each other, Bermejas, Cuba. Endemic.