Zaheer Ali was on a drive around the South African bush when he came across a lone rhino chomping down on some grass.
The red-billed bird is often spotted hitchhiking on the backs and heads of black rhinos. The birds feed on ticks and fly larvae on the rhino’s tough skin, ridding the large animal of unwanted parasites. The rhinos provide the birds with a safe place to live and plenty of food — but their connection is even deeper.
The Swahili name for the red-billed oxpecker is “Askari wa kifaru,” which translates to “the rhino’s guard.” A recent study discovered that though the birds are just 8 inches long, they help to keep their large friends safe.
Scientists reported inCurrent Biologythat the oxpeckers make up for rhinos’ poor eyesight by alerting them to danger. Scientists found that when oxpeckers detect humans approaching, they make a sharp warning call or hiss, and the rhinos know to become more vigilant. This helps the critically endangered species avoid poachers, who hunt the animals for their horn which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
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