ANTING BEHAVIOR BY THE PALE-BREASTED THRUSH Turdus leucomelas (AVES: TURDIDAE)

Resumen

Formication is a type of anting behavior performed by birds, consisting of the deliberate application of ants and their secretions to plumage and skin is primarily attributed to feather grooming and the suppression of ectoparasites, bacteria, and fungi. While reported for various bird species worldwide, there is still limited information available for Brazil. In 2025, we recorded and documented this behavior in Bertioga, Southeast Brazil, when a Pale-breasted Thrush (Turdus leucomelas) captured Carpenter ants (Camponotus atriceps) with its beak and rubbed them on its plumage. This ant genus has been observed being used in formication behaviors by other bird species and may be among the primary species targeted due to the potential insecticidal, bactericidal, and antifungal effects of formic acid. Both species (bird and ant) are widely distributed in Brazil, suggesting a common but poorly observed, understood, and documented behavior. This type of information can aid in understanding this phenomenon and in producing natural history data for the species involved.