Summary
Anting is a behavior common among passerine birds, yet its function is unknown. The behavior consists of a highly stereotyped set of movements which start when a bird picks up an ant, usually one which sprays formic acid as a defense, and sweeps it with frenzied motions through its feathers. The bird will often also eat the ant. As formic acid is toxic, we have tested the food-preparation hypothesis, that is, that the birds are anting to remove a distasteful or toxic substance from the ant before eating it. In a pair of experiments on starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, we have found evidence in support of this hypothesis.
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Correspondence to: O.P. Judson
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Judson, O.P., Bennett, A.T.D. ‘Anting’ as food preparation: formic acid is worse on an empty stomach. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 31, 437–439 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170611
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170611
