What is Anting?
Birds Use Ants, Beetles, Plants, and Other Substances on Feathers
Jun 4, 2007 Rosemary Drisdelle
What is anting?
Birds preen their feathers and like to take dust baths or baths in shallow pools of water—many birds also engage in something called anting, where they apply insects, usually ants, or other substances to their feathers and bodies. Strictly, the term anting refers to the use of ants in this activity; however, for lack of another term, the use of other things in a similar manner is often also referred to as anting.
Hundreds of different species of birds have been observed treating their feathers in this unusual way. Songbirds pick up ants and apply them energetically to feathers; tropical mynas use millipedes similarly; rooks stand with their wings spread over rising smoke, crows lie down on ant hills, and poisonous birds may acquire a toxic coating on feathers by rubbing them with poisonous beetles.
What do birds use for anting?
Birds have been observed using various substances on or in their feathers including:
- Insects and other arthropods, primarily ants, but also beetles, wasps, millipedes, mealworms, and caterpillars.
- Acid substances such as vinegar, mustard, and citrus juices.
- Plant parts such as onions, citrus peels, berries, apple peels, and tobacco.
- Manmade substances such as hair tonic, soap suds, and moth balls.
- Smoke—from burning cigarette butts or chimneys.
How do birds ant?
Anting behavior takes at least three forms:
- Active anting: A bird will often pick up one or more ants in its beak and rub them over its feathers repeatedly. Afterwards, the bird either releases or eats the ants. Songbirds, such as babblers, jays, tanagers, orioles, starlings, and weavers use active anting. Other things are used similarly to anoint the feathers.
- Sometimes birds pick up ants and appear to place them in the feathers, particularly in the area under the wings, releasing them to wander over the skin and feathers.
- Passive anting: Some birds spread their wings over an ant hill, fluff up their feathers and lie down, allowing ants to crawl all over them. Crows, European jays, and waxbills are among the birds that use “passive anting.” In a similar way, birds may spread their winds over smoke coming out of a chimney top or over a burning cigarette butt to allow smoke to filter through the feathers.
Why do birds ant?
No one knows for certain why birds ant—there may be several reasons. Some of the possibilities are:
- Insect secretions, such as formic acid produced by ants or defensive chemicals produced by other insects and insect larvae, may kill or repel external parasites such as lice and mites. Similarly plant essences, smoke, and chemicals may serve the same purpose.
- Insect secretions may help to condition and maintain feathers, as preen oil does.
- Birds may place live ants in their feathers to store them as food for later.
- Crawling insects, or their secretions, may sooth skin irritated by parasites, molting, or other causes.
- Rubbing an ant over the feathers before eating it may remove formic acid, making the insect more edible.
- Insects ingested after being rubbed over the feathers may help rid the bird of internal parasites as well as external parasites.
- Anting, in all its forms, may simply feel good—a lot of birds appear to enjoy the experience intensely.
Birds aren’t the only animals that use anting—squirrels, cats, and hedgehogs have all been observed doing the same sort of thing!
Sources:
Ecobirds. “Anting.”
Doris C. Hauser. “Anting by Gray Squirrels.” Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 45, No. 1 (Feb., 1964), pp. 136-138
Stanford University (web site). “Anting.”
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