anting?

[low_delta]

In the behavior called anting, birds rub insects on their feathers, usually ants, which secrete liquids containing chemicals such as formic acid, that can act as an insecticide, miticide, fungicide, or bactericide. It possibly also supplements the bird's own preen oil. Instead of ants, birds can also use millipedes. Over 250 species of bird have been known to ant.

Some birds, including starlings, babblers, tanagers, blue jays, and weavers, ant actively; that is, they pick up ants with their beak and rub them over their feathers. There are also passive anters, who simply lie over anthills, such as the Eurasian Jay, crows and waxbills.

This behaviour was first described by Erwin Stresemann in German as einemsen in Ornithologische Monatsberichte XLIII. 138 in 1935. The Journal of Bombay Natural History Society XXXVIII described it in English in the following year and translated the term as "anting".

From Wikipedia

Comments

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

M.M.M.MILLIPEDES!!!!!!!
*runs away shrieking*

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

But... millipedes are cute! ...for little crawly things.

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

*faints*

..

[whorlpool.livejournal.com]

It's amazing what some species of ants do with aphids.

I LOVE millipedes!! When we lived in DC, we had millipede hatchings on our balcony. They were everywhere!!

Re: ..

[whorlpool.livejournal.com]

I guess the point of my comment is: birds do with ants what ants do with aphids. I've seen pictures of ants rubbing aphids all over themselves. Isn't that strange?

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's very strange. Of course, so is the bird thing. I wonder if that qualifies as tool using.

I wonder if the scent of ant repels smaller bugs. Predator's taint.

[rdsc.livejournal.com]

Cool - I love wikipaedia. What was the chain (if you can remember) that led you to "anting" :)

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

It was on the main page, in the "Did you know?"

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

That is completely new to me, I've never heard of this. Cool! And gross.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Me neither.

[heartwork.livejournal.com]

that's interesting. i wonder if the birds know why they do it though.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Me too.

[eideteker.livejournal.com]

Countdown till someone makes an "I YOU" shirt?

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

And wears one to a Toronto Blue Jays game.