A Red-billed Ox-pecker (buphagus erythrorhynchus) sitting on the face of a warthog (Phacochoerus africanus or Phacochoerus aethiopicus). The red-bille

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A Red-billed Ox-pecker (buphagus erythrorhynchus) sitting on the face of a warthog (Phacochoerus africanus or Phacochoerus aethiopicus). The red-billed ox-pecker and the warthog have a symbiotic relationship. The bird gains food by eating ticks from the warthog's skin, while the warthog gets cleaned of parasites. Photographed in Zimanga private game reserve, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

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Size: 3411px × 5124px
Photo credit: © TONY CAMACHO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -existence, aethiopicus, africa, african, africanus, animal, behaviour, beneficial, bird, buphagus, drinking, erythrorhynchus, fauna, insectivorous, mutual, mutually, nature, ornithology, oxpecker, phacochoerus, red-billed, relationship, reliance, south, symbiosis, symbiotic, warthog, water, zoology