JOURNAL ARTICLE

Impact of Individual Host Characteristics on Host Selection in Oxpeckers.

  • Published In: African Journal of Ecology, 2025, v. 63, n. 1. P. 1 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Forssman, Kath; Beechler, Brianna; Jolles, Anna 3 of 3

Abstract

Symbiotic interactions between oxpeckers (Buphagus spp.) and African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are influenced by both host characteristics and ectoparasite load. This study investigates how individual traits, such as body size, age and tick load, impact oxpecker foraging decisions. To investigate what impacts whether or not oxpeckers choose to forage on a buffalo, we used candidate generalised linear models. Our results show that oxpeckers preferentially select larger buffalo with higher‐than‐expected tick loads, particularly in the perianal region. These findings highlight the role of host size and parasite abundance in shaping oxpecker foraging behaviour within the savannah ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:African Journal of Ecology. 2025/01, Vol. 63, Issue 1, p1
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Zoology
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0141-6707
  • DOI:10.1111/aje.70019
  • Accession Number:183845600
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of African Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.