[EBB Sightings] Anting Behavior

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I've read about it, even wrote a paper about it in graduate school, but =
I've never before witnessed this odd bird behavior.  This morning my =
resident Song Sparrow was on a part of the brick patio well away from =
the feeders.  He kept dipping his head toward the ground and then =
twisting it under his wings.  I knew that spot had an active =
subterranean ant nest,  having seen the sand brought up from under the =
patio through cracks in the mortar, but I'd never seen the ants in =
action.  The sparrow had better eyes than I.  When he flew, I went to =
investigate and found numerous small ants moving on the brick surface.  =
As I recall, the behavior is a method of ridding themselves of mites and =
is used by birds much as sand or dust bathing is.  When the ants are =
disturbed, they release chemicals which act to kill the mites infesting =
the bird's feathers.

Has anyone else observed this behavior locally?

Sylvia Sykora
Oakland
Nr. Castle and Skyline
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charset=3Diso-8859-1">
graduate=20
school, but I've never before witnessed this odd bird behavior.  =
This=20
morning my resident Song Sparrow was on a part of the brick patio well =
away from=20
the feeders.  He kept dipping his head toward the ground and then =
twisting=20
it under his wings.  I knew that spot had an active subterranean =
ant nest,=20
 having seen the sand brought up from under the patio through =
cracks=20
in the mortar, but I'd never seen the ants in action.  The sparrow =
had=20
better eyes than I.  When he flew, I went to investigate and found =
numerous=20
small ants moving on the brick surface.  As I recall, the behavior =
is a=20
method of ridding themselves of mites and is used by birds much as sand =
or dust=20
bathing is.  When the ants are disturbed, they release chemicals =
which act=20
to kill the mites infesting the bird's feathers.
locally?

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