Javan Mynas anting in a tree
Posted by BESG on 3 August 08, Sunday
Contributed by YC
It was Christmas morning 2007. I woke up late after a night of partying. I was in the bathroom looking out of the windows directly into the starfruit tree (Averrhoa carambola).
All of a sudden I noticed a pair of Javan Mynas (Acridotheres javanicus) right in front of me. There was a glass pane between us and obviously the birds did not notice my presence.
The birds were jumping along the branches, flapping their wings and picking up something from the branches. Suddenly I realised that they were anting.
It was exciting to actually see the birds picking up the ants and placing them on their bodies, although I could not actually see the ants. But knowing that anting is common among mynas and the behaviour associated with it, it was obvious that they were doing what I thought they were doing. Unlike previous instances where the ants were kerengga or weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina), these were of a different species, yet to be identified (left).
The anting lasted about five minutes but I was not able to obtain any decent images because the birds were hidden by the dense foliage. And there was the widow pane between me and the birds.
Now I understand why birders generally miss observing anting. The action is rapid and unless one is knowledgeable of the phenomenon, one invariably misses the significance.
So far, anting by mynas has been reported to occur on the ground. This is a first report of anting by mynas in a tree.
NOTE: Accounts of anting posted between October 2005 and August 2008 have now been written up and published in the 2008 issue of the on-line journal, Nature in Singapore (Vol. 1, pp. 23-25). A PDF file of Anting in Singapore birds is available HERE.
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Categories: Feather maintenance
Comment by Nick
Made Monday, 4 of August , 2008 at 4:19 am
Random question: how many of the excellent natural history observations posted here end up published in the scientific literature?
Comment by BESG
Made Monday, 4 of August , 2008 at 8:09 am
We have so far published around ten with another five or more in the pipeline. All these are in popular and non-referred publications that accept colour images. The idea is to spread the information and not for brownie points. A short review, Anting in Singapore, will be out this week in an on-line journal. Will publicise it and make the PDF available. Thanks for your interest and support.
Comment by Nick
Made Tuesday, 5 of August , 2008 at 12:45 am
Cool! Do you keep a list of these publications on the site somewhere that I missed?
Comment by BESG
Made Tuesday, 5 of August , 2008 at 10:18 am
We have posted only one:
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/2007/08/12/birders-photographers-and-the-study-of-bird-behaviour/
We will post the rest later for information. Good suggestion.
