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


Autoria(s): Judson, Olivia P.; Bennett, Andrew T. D.
Data(s)

01/01/1992

Resumo

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.

Identificador

http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30022781

Idioma(s)

eng

Publicador

Springer - Verlag

Relação

http://www.jstor.org/stable/4600773

Direitos

1992, Springer - Verlag

Tipo

Journal Article