Here Are 31 Finalists Of This Year’s Bird Photographer Of The Year Contest
#16 Red-Billed Oxpecker By Daniela Anger
In the South Luangwa National Park, you can watch a hippo colony from a water-level hide. In addition to their human admirers, the water-loving mammals also receive a lot of attention from the local red-billed oxpeckers, who seek a close encounter for more practical reasons. The birds and the hippos have evolved a symbiotic relationship: the oxpeckers feed on external parasites and the hippos benefit from the hygienic makeover. This image shows two oxpeckers sitting on a very relaxed hippo: all parties seem entirely comfortable with the relationship.
In the South Luangwa National Park, you can watch a hippo colony from a water-level hide. In addition to their human admirers, the water-loving mammals also receive a lot of attention from the local red-billed oxpeckers, who seek a close encounter for more practical reasons. The birds and the hippos have evolved a symbiotic relationship: the oxpeckers feed on external parasites and the hippos benefit from the hygienic makeover. This image shows two oxpeckers sitting on a very relaxed hippo: all parties seem entirely comfortable with the relationship.
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04 September 2023
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