Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Buffalo and Oxpecker

An annoyed-looking African buffalo (to be fair, they pretty much always look annoyed) gets his ear cleaned by a red-billed oxpecker. These ubiquitous little birds spend their days eating parasites from the ears and coats of mammals including buffalo, zebra, and giraffes.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Mpumalanga province, South Africa
Camera: X-H1
Copyright: © Sam Gulino