08 Aug Oxpecker Antics | Riding on Giants
Posted at 13:23h
in Birds
Where there’s wildlife, there are Oxpeckers! Their antics can make for an amusing sight, with them crawling around on the animal looking for a tasty tick or two, yet their relationship with the host animal is very important and beneficial to both parties. The oxpecker gets a tasty meal and the host animal is relieved of the parasitic ticks and insects that feed on its blood. If parasites are not controlled, it can cause the animal to become anaemic resulting in loss of energy and making it an easy target for predators. Oxpeckers are also very vigilant and will fly up noisily if startled, serving as an early warning system if danger arises.
