In the history of the wildlife kingdom, birds and animals have often formed strange and enduring relationships that serve them both 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 notoriously recognized for their digging ability. As a recognition of this fact, they are referred to as digging machines by many people. They love to dig for root foods, which is one of their main sources of food. But, in addittion, they feed on grubs and small worms that they find in the dirt.
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 also end up displacing many ground insects such as worms and thus forcing them to the surface. Because of this, robins have learned to stay close to these pigs as they begin to dig. This way, as worms begin to show up on the surface, the robins can simply scoop them up.
The nightjar has a similar relationship with wild cattle and goats. Nightjars are mostly 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.
Over the centuries, the nightjar has noticed that when wild cattle and goats are near, that their constant moving stirs up the soil on which they are walking. This 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.
Another example is the oxpecker bird. The oxpecker is a relative of the starling. In 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.
Oxpeckers love these parasites because they contain lots of blood which has a ton of nourishments. They 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.
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