subject: Birds and Animals That Work Together [print this page] Birds and Animals That Work Together Birds and Animals That Work Together
Throughout history, certain species of birds have formed strategic partnerships with other animals. And these partnerships have seeming served both of them well. Here are just a few of those pairings.
A good example of such an unusual relationship is the one that exists in Europe between wild pigs and robins. As many nature lovers know, wild pigs are known for their digging ability. So much so, that many people refer to them as digging machines. And what they are digging for is root foods which they live on. They also feed on grubs and small worms that they find in the soil.
As they have lived in close proximity over the years, the robin has come to notice that whenever these wild pigs show up and begin to excavate the ground, they are also digging up and exposing worms. As a result, robins have learned to stay close to these pigs as they begin to dig so they can scoop up the worms that appear on the surface.
In a like manner, the Nightjar has an interesting symbiotic relationship with wild cattle and goats in areas where the both live. For the most part, nightjars are nocturnal birds and they feed almost entirely on insects typically moths and beetles. It is a great aerial hunter and is able to deftly snatch moths from the air while in mid flight. When on the ground, however, it is typically hunting beetles and ants.
During the passing of many hundreds of years, the nightjar has come to notice that when wild cattle and goats are grazing nearby, that their continuous moving around agitates the ground on which they are grazing. And as they do this, it tends to bring insects in the soil, such as beetles and moths, to the surface. As a result, the nightjar has learned that its often easier to follow the herds and feed off of the insects that they dig up than to hunt and scrounge for their own insects.
The oxpecker bird is yet another illustration of birds forming symbiotic relationships. The oxpecker is a close relation to the starling. And within Africa, this bird has a real working partnership with many animals - antelope, buffalo, rhinoceros, and even the giraffe. The relationship has to do with the fact that ticks and lice are very common in this environment.
Ticks and lice are a real and ongoing aggravation to many of these large animals. This is due to the fact that their eggs hatch on the animal's surface and immediately becomes a parasite by gorging on their blood. If an animal gets enough of these on its skin, it can find its strength and staminal slowly being drained away.
AS it so happens, oxpeckers dearly love these parasites. This is because these parasites contain lots of nutrient rich blood which they have appropriated from the host. The birds comb through the skin and hairs of these large animals and consume all of the ticks and lice that they find. A win/win for everyone.
