Both species of Oxpecker, Red-billed and Yellow-billed are perched on the neck of the giraffe providing a valuable service removing skin parasites

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Both species of Oxpecker, Red-billed and Yellow-billed are perched on the neck of the giraffe providing a valuable service removing skin parasites such as lice and ticks and show a classic example of symbiosis, behaviour where both parties benefit.

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Size: 5000px × 3443px
Location: Katavi National Park, B 8, Sitalike, Tanzania
Photo credit: © Nick Greaves; Agfa Awards Winner / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, -operation, -passerine, africanus, alarm, animal, avean, aves, beneficial, benefit, billed, birdlife, birdwatchimng, birdwatching, blood, blooded, buphagidae, buphagus, call, camelopardalis, commensuralism, environment, erythrorhyncus, family, feathers, feet, flight, giraffa, giraffe, girrafidae, habitat, lice, mammal, masai, national, ornithology., oxpecker, parasites, pelage, perch, plumage, red, sangeunivore, sanguinivore, season, sturnidae, symbiotic, tallest, tanzanias, ticks, tippelskirchi, trichophagia, vertebrate, warm, warning, yellow, zygodactylic