anting
- 1The behavior in which some birds rub live ants, or occasionally other objects, into their plumage, possibly as a way of controlling parasites.
Like dusting yourself with a natural powder to drive off fleas, except the powder is living ants.
The ornithologist recorded several instances of anting among the local thrushes.
During anting, the starling crouched and tucked ants beneath its outstretched wings.
Note
Ornithologists built this word plainly from ant + -ing, and it moves easily between noun and verb: a bird is anting, the anting bird spreads its wings. Specialists distinguish active anting, in which the bird anoints its plumage with its bill, from a passive kind; a blue jay may simply lie on an anthill, wings and tail spread, and let the ants swarm over it. The ants' fluids, notably formic acid, are what reach the feathers.
The jay was anting on the lawn, its wings thrust forward like a canopy.
We watched an anting starling work ants through its plumage with its bill.
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Origin
The word is formed from "ant" combined with the suffix "-ing."