Weird: prostrated blue jay on ground (1 Viewer)

[virtualist]

This event occurred yesterday morning in the zone of my back yard where all of the birdfeeding stations are located .....

I thought I was seeing an injured blue jay on the ground. It was prostate facedown with his wings splayed out our flat to ground.. feathers spread out.. and also the tail feathers flat to ground.. feathers fanned out . I watched .. there were 2 other blue jays in the crabapple tree close by .. seemingly attentive to this .. moving around to different perches in the tree.

Then the blue jay on the ground got up and flew about 4' away from it's original place and assumed the same position on the ground . The other 2 birds were moving around on the tree .

After 2-3 min the bird got up and all flew away.

In the 8 yrs here, watching birds in our back yard, frequented by ~7-9 different blue jays flying in and out to feed I have never seen this behavior.

What was going on here?

Thanks.....

 

[KC Foggin]

It's commonly called "anting". It's a way they clean their feathers. I see it more often in the Carolina Wrens but have seen it in the Blue Jay population as well.

 

[KC Foggin]

Here's a link that will explain it better:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anting_(bird_activity)

 

[virtualist]

Perfect !

..found this abstract to an article (they wanted $35 for it ):

Journal Article

“Anting” in Blue Jays: evidence in support of a food-preparatory function

Thomas Eisner and Daniel Aneshansley

Chemoecology, 2008, Volume 18, Number 4, Pages 197-203

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Download PDF (6.9 MB)

Abstract
Anting, the plumage-dipping behavior to which ants (mostly formicines) are commonly subjected by birds (mostly passerines), is shown in tests with hand-raised Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) and the ant Formica exsectoides to be instinctive: the birds displayed typical renditions of the behavior on the first occasion that they encountered ants. Evidence is presented supportive of the view that anting is a strategy by which birds render ants fit for ingestion. Formicine ants are ordinarily protected by their formic acid-containing spray. Being wiped into the bird’s plumage causes them to discharge that spray, without harm to the bird, to the point of almost total emptying of the glandular sac in which the secretion is stored. The ants are therefore essentially secretion-free by the time they are swallowed. Further evidence indicates that it is the ant’s possession of the acid sac that triggers the anting behavior in the bird. If F. exsectoides are surgically deprived of their acid sac, they are eaten by the birds without first being subjected to anting. Data are also presented indicating that the ant’s crop, which is especially capacious in formicines (its contents may amount to over 30% of the formicine’s mass), and which appears to survive the anting procedure intact, constitutes, at least when laden, a valuable component of the trophic package that the bird accesses by anting.

Keywords. Cyanocitta cristata - Formica exsectoides - chemical defense - coevolution - predation - formic acid

 

[SueO]

Very interesting. A few years ago I saw some Western Bluebirds in Huntington Beach doing this. I thought they must be 'sunning' or teaching the young birds around them some sort of defensive behavior.

 

[fugl]

Fascinating, particularly the part about the surgical removal of the acid sacs & the claim that jays examine each individual ant before swallowing it to make sure this has been done.

 

[bela1931]

Anting! I thought my birds were dying or going nuts!

I have some jays that regularly feed on my patio. After I refilled the feeder today, they started squatting low to the ground, wings spread, heads tilted to the left with mouths open. They've done it alone and in pairs. I've never seen them do this before. I actually thought they were poisoned and dying!!
But.. they got up, flew away, flew back, and have repeated this behavior for hours. I watch these birds every day and this is the first time I've seen them do this. Thanks for your post! I was thrilled to find your info and see what's in the forums. :t:

P.S. The pecking order at my feeder is Blue Jays, Cardinals, Titmice, an occasional woodpecker, and always some Mourning Doves on the ground. The squirrels only come up when no Blue Jays are around.

 

[Andy Hurley]

Welcome to BirdForum Bela!