Forked-Tailed Drongo having a ride on a Zebra's back.
Here are some facts about the bird:
This little black bird with its distinct fork-shaped tail, can be seen all over the park, usually sitting on branches next to the road or with other animals. They are like the Jack Russell Terriers of the bush - feisty, fearless and very aggressive for such a small size, and they will not hesitate to take on even the most dangerous animals and birds of prey.
When it comes to drongos, there is a fine line between having a mutualism relationship with other mammals, commensalism and kleptoparasitism.
With mutualistic relationships, both parties involved benefit from a certain situation, for example drongo are commonly encountered with other animals like impala (Aepyceros melampus), giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and elephants (Loxodonta africana) to name a few. While these animals move through the tall grass, insects are disturbed and flushed out and the drongo will sweep in swiftly to capture them. This method has made the drongo (and some other bird species) slightly more lazy when it comes to foraging as they basically get free food instead of hunting themselves. The animals they follow, do not get influenced in a bad way and the drongo would alert them of possible danger.
My name is Melanie Delamare. I am french, born in Istanbul in 1988.As an expat as a child, my parents and myself have been travelling and living in different countries around the world such as Thailand, South Africa, India and Switzerland. I had a very fortunate.. Read more…