Talk:Oxpecker

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Parasitic:[edit]

I just learned in my evolution class of a paper published that indicates that the relationship between oxpecker's and tetrapods is more parasitic than mutual. I don't have the ref, but I can look it up later.--FUNKAMATIC 17:06, 7 October 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Funkamatic (talk • contribs)

I've seen this as well. 134.84.199.55 (talk) 02:45, 21 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Parasitism v. mutualism: removed impala claim[edit]

Removed the following claim: "However one study of impalas found that impalas which were used by oxpeckers spent less time grooming themselves suggesting a reduction in parasite load." The study didn't show that they spent less time grooming themselves. It observed that oxpeckers fed on ticks in areas that the impalas could not reach, where consequently the ticks were thick, and argued that oxpeckers were therefore important to tick control. Further, the presumable source of this statement ([1]) discounts the study, saying that it shows only that impalas are more effective at removing their own ticks than oxpeckers since areas that could be groomed were not so heavily infested. Richigi (talk) 19:14, 22 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Dates?[edit]

How was the genus circumscribed in 1760 but its only two species were described in 1766 and 1814? Umimmak (talk) 04:52, 10 October 2017 (UTC)[reply]