Starlings, cowbirds and even magpies have an interesting relationship with the bison on Antelope Island.
1/1250, f,7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
During winter starlings in particular congregate around bison in large flocks. The birds land on the backs of the bison for a while and then forage on the ground around them before returning to their bison perch and they do that repeatedly. In warmer months you can see them feeding on insects in and on the bison fur but during winter I suspect they use the bison as a convenient, mobile perch as they stir up seeds on the ground to be fed on.
A large crop of the same image gives a closer look at a few of the starlings as they’re about to land on the bison. To the birds these large animals seem to be almost inanimate objects and they obviously have no fear of them at all.
I like how the wings of one starling are almost wrapped around the snout of the bison as the bird heads to its perch.
Ron
Note: I’m on my first camping trip of the season and my internet access will be extremely limited until my return.
Great shot, interesting relationship.
Charlotte
I’m always amused by how difficult is is to see a bison’s ears….(maybe they don’t have any!)…
Love the photo. We have Cow Birds that hop on the Bison, Horses, and long Horns here.
Stunning.
Have a wonderful, wonderful productive time away.
“Mobile perch”. I like it. Great capture of behavior, Ron. Hope your camping trip is fun, relaxing and worthy of being repeated.
Great photo. I also like the bird’s wings wrapped around the bison nose. Hope it’s not too cold for camping!
I’ve also seen starlings on the back of elk. From their behavior, I’m sure that they are getting insects and are probably beneficial to any of these large mammals by removing insect parasites. Oxpeckers in Africa also sit atop water buffalo and zebras and remove insects. But they do something else and I’ve wondered if starlings could do this as well. Oxpeckers will also remove scabs caused by the parasites and drink some of the blood. I have no evidence to suggest that starlings drink blood, and likely they don’t, based on their diet, but I can’t see what they are eating when their beaks are in the mammal’s fur. It’s an interesting question, but I’ve never found an answer. Anyone know? It’s always nice to have some mysteries to ponder. Thanks for the wonderful photos, Ron and I look forward to any new images from your trip.
That nose bird almost looks like it is climbing with its wings. Enjoy your time out!