> [A]nting is..where birds rub insects, usually ants, on their feathers and skin.

> Some birds will sit still on an anthill and patiently allow the creatures to crawl freely through their feathers. At other times they have been seen to pick the ants up with their beaks and rub themselves with the tiny insects.

> Sensing a threat, the ants shoot a spray of formic acid from their abdomens or anal glands which gets absorbed into the bird's body and acts as a natural insecticide.

> ..A widely held theory..maintains that birds use the ants to soothe irritated skin during periods of heavy feather molting, while another theory suggests it controls parasites which live in the bird's plumage.