oxpeckers
African tick-eaters
Oxpeckers are African birds that perch on large mammals—cattle, buffalo, rhinoceroses, giraffes—feeding on ticks, flies, and other parasites from the host's skin.
The relationship benefits both parties: the bird gets food while the mammal gets pest control.
Oxpeckers clung to the buffalo's back, picking at its hide.
Large horned African mammal
- zebraStriped African horse relative
- giraffeTallest land animal
- buffaloLarge North American bovine
- antelopeSwift horned grazer
hippopotamus · cattle · wildebeest · impala · eland · kudu · warthog · ungulates
Two-way biological benefit
- commensalismNeutral host, benefiting guest
- hostOne receiving guests
- interdependenceReciprocal reliance between entities
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
symbionts · cleaning · grooming · reciprocity · interspecies · beneficial · coevolution · partnership
Of or concerning birds
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
- beakHorny avian mouthpart
- wingsLimbs for flight
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
perching · nesting · red-billed · passerine · insectivorous · flock · roosting · egg-laying
Parasites or clock sounds
- parasitesOrganisms feeding off hosts
- insectsSix-legged arthropods
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
- fliesWinged buzzing pests
lice · mites · blood · wounds · earwax · mucus · skin · gleaning
Tropical grassland, sparse trees
At risk of extinction
- protectionGuarding against harm
- wildlifeUndomesticated natural organisms
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
threatened · poaching · ecosystem · sanctuary · reserve · pesticides · reintroduction · monitoring
rhinoceros
Large horned African mammal
antelope · hippopotamus · cattle · wildebeest · impala · eland · kudu · warthog · ungulates · livestock
mutualism
Two-way biological benefit
- commensalismNeutral host, benefiting guest
- hostOne receiving guests
- interdependenceReciprocal reliance between entities
cooperation · symbionts · cleaning · grooming · reciprocity · interspecies · beneficial · coevolution · partnership · relationship
avian
Of or concerning birds
plumage · perching · nesting · red-billed · passerine · insectivorous · flock · roosting · egg-laying · ornithology
ticks
Parasites or clock sounds
- parasitesOrganisms feeding off hosts
- insectsSix-legged arthropods
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
flies · lice · mites · blood · wounds · earwax · mucus · skin · gleaning · foraging
savanna
Tropical grassland, sparse trees
endangered
At risk of extinction
- protectionGuarding against harm
- wildlifeUndomesticated natural organisms
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
preservation · threatened · poaching · ecosystem · sanctuary · reserve · pesticides · reintroduction · monitoring
- savannasavanna, grassland, acacia, African savannah, baobab tree
- commensalsremora, remoras, pilot fish, gut flora, intestinal flora
- parasitestapeworm, roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, fleas
- hippo habitathippos, mud, water, riverbanks, wallows
oxpeckersvultures
Large carrion-eating raptors
ostriches · scavengers · raptors · eagles · secretary birds