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The Crow's Pharmacy

The provided sources discuss anting, a sophisticated self-medication behaviour observed in crows and over 200 other bird species. Crows strategically use formic acid-producing ants to combat parasites, bacteria, and fungi on their feathers and skin. This acid, a potent natural antibiotic, is applied in two ways: active anting, where crows rub ants on their feathers, and passive anting, where they allow ants to swarm over their bodies. Crows demonstrate remarkable intelligence by selectively choosing specific ant species and timing their anting during vulnerable periods like moulting. This complex behaviour offers significant therapeutic benefits, controlling ectoparasites and inhibiting microbial growth, with potential biomimetic applications for human medicine due to the ants' complex antimicrobial compounds.