Some Birds Bathe in Ants and the Possible Reasons Are Fascinating

To us humans, having ants crawling all over our bodies sounds like a nightmare straight out of an Indiana Jones movie. But for many bird species, it’s an eagerly anticipated ritual known as “anting.” While the sight of a bird seemingly bathing in an anthill may look disturbing, this peculiar behavior may serve several important purposes for our feathered friends.

The term “anting” comes from the English translation of the German word “Einemsen” which means “to ant oneself.” It describes the deliberate act of birds rubbing ants or other insects onto their plumage and skin.

There are two main types of anting. Active anting involves the bird picking up ants in its beak one by one and vigorously wiping them over its feathers, especially focusing on the wings and tail. Birds like jays, crows, and turkeys frequently engage in this frantic form of anting.

Passive anting, on the other hand – sorry, wing – is a more laid-back method where the bird simply squats down in or near an anthill and allows the ants to swarm onto its splayed wings and body. Robins, ravens, and other corvidae are known for chilling in this ant-immersed fashion. While passive anting seems more harmless for the ants, it’s not entirely non-violent, as birds have been observed snacking on some ants after their insect “spa treatment.”

With over 200 bird species across 24 different ant species observed anting, it’s clearly no random behavior. However, scientists still debate the primary reasons and benefits behind this bizarre practice. The most commonly cited theory is that anting serves a hygienic purpose by controlling pests and microbes living in birds’ feathers. As the ants are disturbed, they release defensive chemical secretions like formic acid that may help kill or deter feather lice, mites, fungi, bacteria and other unwanted guests. Tellingly, birds seem to prefer using ant species from the Formicinae subfamily known for their potent formic acid sprays.

Another hypothesis proposes that birds strategically rub ants onto themselves to remove or dilute the insects’ unpleasant defensive formic acid before consuming them. This could explain species like starlings that ant before eating the neutralized ants. However, not all anting birds actually eat the ants.

Since many songbirds engage in anting during their summer moulting periods, some scientists theorize the ants’ secretions could help stimulate new feather growth or provide relief from skin irritations during this intensive process of replacing feathers.

In one of the most intriguing theories, anting doesn’t serve any key biological function but is simply a pleasurable, self-stimulating indulgence for birds akin to humans popping bubble wrap or blow a dried dandelion flower. Some observers describe birds acting almost euphoric during anting, leading to speculation they might develop an “addiction” to the ants’ secretions. The fact that anting is very time-consuming yet not essential for survival could lend weight to this “anting is fun” hypothesis.

With so many theories, it’s possible that anting serves different primary purposes for various bird groups, or even combines multiple benefits. This could help explain the strange but recurring phenomenon of some anting birds using non-insect substitutes like snails, millipedes, caterpillars, wasps, and even inedible items like citrus peels or cigarette butts when ants aren’t available. Observing birds “anting” with such a bizarre array of stand-in materials only deepens the mystery behind this odd behavior.

While anting’s roots remain unclear, it’s been thoroughly documented as an entrenched ritual across diverse bird families for centuries. Some of the earliest records describing anting-like behaviors date back to the 1830s, with pioneers like John James Audubon and Alexander Chisholm remarking on American turkeys and Australian birds intentionally immersing themselves in anthills.

The term “anting” itself was coined in 1935 by German ornithologist Erwin Stresemann, translated from his proposed term “Einemsen.” This launched global scientific interest in cataloging anting practices across continents. Over 200 bird species have now been recorded anting, confirming it as a widespread, deeply ingrained behavior in the avian world.

So while anting may seem bizarre, even revolting to our human sensibilities, it’s clearly an important feathered tradition serving key purposes still not fully understood. The next time you see a bird frantically shimmying with ants or lying blissfully in an anthill, remember you’re witnessing one of nature’s strangest grooming behaviors in action. And keep an eye out for any citrus peels, butts or other random objects being used as ant substitutes – signs that birds will ant with just about anything if ants aren’t available! Life as a bird clearly isn’t all angel wing and song – and if you feel antsy, sometimes you’ve got to get down and anty!

Sources: 1, 2