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'Anting' as food preparation : formic acid is worse on an empty stomach

journal contribution
posted on 1992-01-01, 00:00 authored by O Judson, Andy Bennett
Anting is a behavior common among passerine birds, yet its function is unknown. The behavior consists of a highly stereotyped set of movements which start when a bird picks up an ant, usually one which sprays formic acid as a defense, and sweeps it with frenzied motions through its feathers. The bird will often also eat the ant. As formic acid is toxic, we have tested the food-preparation hypothesis, that is, that the birds are anting to remove a distasteful or toxic substance from the ant before eating it. In a pair of experiments on starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, we have found evidence in support of this hypothesis.

History

Journal

Behavioral ecology and sociobiology

Volume

31

Issue

6

Pagination

437 - 439

Publisher

Springer - Verlag

Location

Berlin, Germany

ISSN

0340-5443

eISSN

1432-0762

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

1992, Springer - Verlag

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