Abstract
Abstract. Anting is a curious behavior that has been recorded in over 200 species of songbirds. While anting, a bird will wipe several ants throughout its plumage. It has been proposed that birds select ants for their ability to spray formic acid, a chemical that is known to have antibacterial properties at high enough concentrations that may help to limit the growth of feather bacteria. To test this hypothesis, two blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) were provided with daily rations of either ants capable of ejecting formic acid (black carpenter ants, Camponotus pennsylvanicus) or ants incapable of ejecting formic acid (Western harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis). After 26 daily sessions, it was found that a significantly higher percentage of black carpenter ants were used for anting when compared to the percentage of Western harvester ants. In the second part of the study, feathers inoculated with the common feather bacterium Bacillus licheniformis were treated with black carpenter ants to determine ...
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