If you were to see a razz flattened to the ground and covered in ants , you might worry it had fallen ill and was in the process of being devoured alive . A noteworthy exposure captured by photographer Tony Austin certainly seems to depict such a scene – but getting swarmed by ants is really the bird ’s intent . The behavior is known as “ anting ” and is one that , whilst rarely photographed so succinctly , is know to be practiced by several bird metal money .
implicated grouping members were pleased to observe that the hoot ’s death was in reality more of an innovational spa treatment , with the ants merely doing the bird ’s bid rather than squander it alert . Anting can be done in one of two way : active or inactive . Active anting meet birds such as jays gazump ants and placing them among their feathers , while inactive anting can be achieved by simply smushing yourself on top of an anthill and permit them climb on board .
While anting is mostly see in songbirds , the 2nd one-half of this bird - insect tango are think to be gain from twosubfamilies of emmet , neither of which bite ( makes sense ) . What they miss in defence they make up for in repugnancy , however , eliminate off - put acid and oil colour ( from their belly and anal glands , severally ) as a agency of repelling aggressor .
How this stanky ooze benefits the anting birds remains something of a mystery story , but it ’s suspected to playact a role in feather maintenance or simply be comfortable . It ’s potential birds get anting then they ’re moult feathers , a born cognitive operation which belike irritates the peel . The ants may comfort this discomfort , despite whatAnts in my oculus Johnsonled us to conceive .
The ants ’ front could improve the wellness of the bird ’ feathers and crystallise out parasites from the base of their plumage . Lice and soupcon are rough-cut freeloaders for birds , and they do n’t even have the decency of expel good arse - gland - ooze or acid as they tramp across the cutis .
Remarkably , the merriment does n’t even cease at ants , as some birds have been espy engage the assistant of millipede and even bombardier beetles . The latter make for a peculiarly violent option to a rubble tub , look at that , when threatened , thebombardier beetlemixes hydrogen peroxide , hydroquinone , and H2O . The cocktail triggers a potent exothermal reaction that causes the resulting liquid admixture to boil before it pops violently out through a valve on the tip of the abdomen .
I think I ’ll stick with shower gel , ta .
