[NatureNS] re "anting" by crows and other birds

Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:20:08 -0300
From: Pat <patdix@ns.sympatico.ca>
User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.24 (Windows/20100228)
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <3782325E-74B4-414C-9DC1-68EB926BE4BC@ns.sympatico.ca>, <58F5BED2-5DBA-427B-ADF8-FB32B874B08B@eastlink.ca> <4C218110.6897.20CCA50@jtimpa.ns.sympatico.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
Thanks, all, for the enlightening information.  I will continue to 
marvel at Nature's superior intelligence.

Patricia Dix
Greenwich NS

Jean Timpa wrote:
> Yes, refer to the Winter 2009 BNS Newsletter starting on page 26, an 
> article about Anting by John Belbin and an illustration of a crow 
> stirring up a nest.  Cheers, Jean
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> To:                            *NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>*
> From:                        *"James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>*
> Subject:                     *[NatureNS] re "anting" by crows and 
> other birds*
> Date sent:                  *Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:24:28 -0300*
> Send reply to:             *naturens@chebucto.ns.ca*
>
> This sounds very much like "anting", a well-known behaviour of a 
> variety of birds.  When indulging it this behaviour, individual birds 
> find an ant nest and purposely sit or lie on it with various posturing 
> and acting as if high on drugs, some say or imagine, while grabbing 
> individual ants and not eating them but applying them to various parts 
> of their plumage.  As far as I know, the actual function of this 
> behaviour is purely speculation, but it's possible that it just feels 
> good, and/or the ants remove ectoparasitic mites or fleas from the 
> feathers, and/or the formic acid from the ants acts like a repellent 
> to those ectoparasites for a while?  More comments, please?
>
> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> *From: *Nancy Roberts <_nancy.roberts@ns.sympatico.ca_ 
> <mailto:nancy.roberts@ns.sympatico.ca>>
> *Date: *June 22, 2010 1:44:55 PM ADT
> *To: *_naturens@chebucto.ns.ca_ <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects