Crows disclose a mysterious ritual

Birds. They are all around us but often go unnoticed by many.

Not Mom! My mother has always been fascinated by birds. We had birdhouses and feeders of all shapes and sizes on the farm. Some birds nested in the barn, others in trees and some in chunks of rotting wood behind the shed. With each passing season, Mom watched and listened. She could tell you, without hesitation, if a new species of bird has moved into the area.

Mom kept a bird watchers’ guidebook close by. A few years ago, I picked it up and noticed Mom had little pencil scribbles beside some photos. When she spotted a unique bird, she made a few notes and, of course, recorded the date and the weather.

I'm not sure if it's Mom's influence or not, but I've become quite taken with birds. I guess that’s why this recent correspondence caught my eye:

“On Wednesday, June 30, 2021, the (National Indigenous History Month’s) ‘Day of Listening’ for Canadians,

I was sitting in my favourite spot where I can see my neighbour’s yard across the street.

I was on the phone with my sister; we were sharing the grief we were both feeling about the week of devastating news, when I noticed a crow had landed in the garden. It stayed for about 15 minutes. Just laying there, spread eagle. I started to think it was injured or dead. I thought I should take a picture because I had never seen anything so strange. Then it just ever so gracefully flew off into the distance.

“A couple of days later, when I was telling my sister about it, she told me she had just heard of a ritual that crows have, called anting. Apparently, it's a common thing for crows to do but rarely do people see it.

“It was a very emotional day for me, as it was for many of us Canadians. I felt that what I had witnessed on this day was worth sharing. I only wish I had a better picture of the process.” Barbara and Gord Harrison, Lakeside, N.S.

Yes, anting is what it sounds like: birds sitting on ant nests. They flap their wings and shake their tails on ant piles. After being rudely disrupted, the agitated ants righteously proceed to swarm all over these cocky crows.

What's it all about? It has to do with formic acid.

Ants spew this acid from their jaws when they attack. For humans, the injection feels like a stabbing sting. But for these birds, it’s the next best thing to pest control; formic acid is a natural repellent for pests. It is used as a natural pesticide and as an antibacterial agent in commercial farms. Who knew?

At the end of the day, we have lots to learn from the natural world. I hope this encourages you to look to nature and all her creatures for inspiration, guidance and unconventional solutions.

Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network.