When I was a kid there were tick birds all over the cattle – egrets in the grass. Then, they disappeared almost entirely when we were farming.
We sat watching this one, and the birds crawling all over him. He kept trying to chase them away…
This one had a full facial!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-billed_oxpecker
These birds are also known to open and clean sores… maybe that is why they were being chased… eina…
I didn’t know that…what are they? Its been so long since I saw as many. On the farm, our dips killed all the birds, and the only tick birds I ever saw were in the TTL’s or in the National Parks. We saw hundreds on this herd of Impala
They look like red billed ox peckers
Thanks for that! My camera didn’t pick them up too well – but since I saw them pretty clearly, I think you are right.
On 4 February 2015 at 13:57, Frankie Kay Foto's wrote:
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They are pretty for a horrible job.
I haven’t seen this many for years
– much better than our terrible dips
Enjoy the last picture. Bless him. decorated with eager birds. Saw a lot in Kruger, Pilanesberg and Marakele when I was there. Nice Frankie xx
Thanks. I haven’t seen them for years. Appear to have disappeared in Zimbabwe