Healers.

"In feathered flight and forest deep,

Nature teaches, and the wise ones keep."

"The winged ones, in silent lore,

Heal with herbs and Earth’s own store."

Through ant and leaf and river’s clay,

Birds find the ancient healing way."

"A bird knows where the healers grow,

In fields, in ants, where soft winds blow."

Birds often self-medicate — a behavior called "zoopharmacognosy" — using natural substances to protect themselves from parasites.

One common antiparasitic birds use is ants!

The behavior is called "anting".

Birds allow ants (especially those that produce formic acid) to crawl through their feathers or even crush the ants and rub them on their bodies.

The formic acid from ants helps kill or repel parasites like lice, mites, and fungi.

Besides anting, birds also use:

Aromatic plants (like wild herbs: mint, lavender, bay leaves) in their nests, which act as natural insect repellents.

Mud or clay ingestion by some species can bind and flush out intestinal parasites.

Smoke: Some birds even deliberately build nests near smoky areas (like burning wood) to keep parasites away.

So, the natural antiparasitic methods used by birds include formic acid from ants, essential oils from plants, and clay or mud ingestion.

1. Blue Jays and Crows – Anting

These birds pick up ants (especially formicine ants that produce formic acid) and rub them through their feathers.

The formic acid helps kill feather lice, mites, and bacteria.

2. European Starlings – Aromatic Plants in Nests

Starlings line their nests with herbs like wild carrot, yarrow, and mint.

The aromatic oils repel parasites and improve the health of their chicks.

3. Parrots (Macaws in Amazon Rainforest) – Clay Licking

Macaws and other parrots eat clay from riverbanks.

The clay binds to toxic compounds from seeds and also helps remove gut parasites.

4. House Sparrows and Finches – Smoke-seeking Behavior

Some small birds build their nests near smoky areas or use charred wood in their nests. Smoke deters parasites like mites and fleas.

5. Hoatzins (Amazonian bird) – Leaf-eating

Hoatzins eat large amounts of semi-toxic leaves that have natural antiparasitic and antibacterial properties. Helps keep their gut microbiome healthy and controls internal parasites.

Each bird seems to "know" exactly what it needs — an amazing natural wisdom!