I was looking through a kids? bird book with my daughter and found this
interesting note on birds and ant hills:

Ant Baths
Ants release a strong acid that kills feather lice. In a behavior called
anting, some birds crouch on an ant hill and let ants crawl all over them.
Others rub crushed ants on their feathers.
--The Bird Book by Neil and Karen Dawe


Kathryn True
ktrue at centurytel.net
Vashon Island