While on Safari in the Kruger National Park, we stopped at a waterhole to watch a few hippos lazing around in the water. During the day they will just do as little as possible. Around dusk time they start leaving the water to go and graze for a few hours. We watched these lazy hippos in the water for a while when we noticed something funny. Out of nowhere, there were some birds that started landing on the head of one of the younger hippos. They were identified as yellow billed Oxpeckers. Oxpecker birds are one of the most fascinating bird species in Africa. These birds predominantly live on ticks. They also feed on ectoparasites and blood from wounds. Their favourite host animals are Giraffe, Buffalo, Rhino, Kudu and occasionally hippo. It was during the heat of the day and these birds saw another opportunity instead of parasites on the hippo’s skin. They wanted a safe place from where they can drink water. Right in the middle of the waterhole, from a hippo’s head. It is a lot safer than landing on land at the edge of the water. These birds also only have a limited time on the head of the hippo and they must drink quickly. Eventually the hippo will move and chase them off or it will go under water. This video shows how the birds have to get their timing right while one of them gets sprayed by the breathing of one of the hippos. They stick it out out right until the hippo decides to go under the water eventually. It was a great experience to witness such comical interaction between two ton mammals and birds each weighing in at 60 grams.