Anting is thought to aid in cleaning or disinfecting the bird's plumage. The bird would be using the ants as tools, as ant's secretions, including formic acid have known bactericidal, insecticidal and fungicidal properties. The ants would behave agressively and defensively if they are picked up or rubbed by the bird or if the bird is disturbing their nest.
Blackbirds, other thrushes, starlings and corvids use anting. Some of the species sit on wood ants nests, or even apply individual ants on their plumage. Some bird species use a similar behaviour with millipedes, which also produce strong chemical secretions.
I think it is unlikely anting is a learned behaviour, as it is quite rare. I wonder if the ant's frenzied activity around nests today - it was flying ant day in Hull - stimulated the Blackbird to engage in anting behaviour.
More information
See this post at my other blog on birds and flying ant day
Fascinating - and it was flying ant day here yesterday, too :)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting video. I've never seen a bird anting. Incidentally, down in London we had our flying ant day in June, presumably because the south, and particularly London, are warmer.
ReplyDeleteHI Ralph, thank you . A new one for me too, but I did see a crow doing it a few weeks back (I was driving and on a red traffic light though!). Yes, for us this was the first flying ant day of the year.
DeleteYou teach me so much about birds, for which I thank you. I have not noticed this activity but it does make sense.
ReplyDeleteThank you Toffeeapple, it is so thrilling to see a common bird doing something new for you, they never cease to amaze me
DeleteYes this is happening in my garden. I have seen it other years but a couple of my nesting blackbirds are nearly bald and very tatty looking and I think they must have mites. Since flying ants emerged they have both started sitting on the nests and pecking about in their feathers.
ReplyDeleteI have seen one of my local blackbirds do this twice now. It is amazing to watch, and they are so engrossed in it, that you can watch for a short distance. Trev
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