Natural High: Animals that Use Drugs in the Wild

Anting

There is a behavior in birds that has stumped ornithologists for decades. A bird picks up an insect, usually an ant, in its beak and rubs it over its feathers. Called “anting” it is seen in many bird species.One of the theories as to why a bird might do this is simply to make the ant palatable. Many ants can secrete noxious compounds to make them less appetizing to their predators. The formic acid some ants give off is removed by anting behavior and ends up smeared over the bird’s wings. The bird is then able to eat the ant without the bitter aftertaste. It may also be that the formic acid is used to deter parasites from living in their feathers. When offered ants that have had their formic acid sacs removed the birds skip the anting and simply eat the ant.