Why do we never see birds eating flies off horses as they do with giraffes, rhino, etc.?

Answer 1

I think Blinker means BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, not Buffleheaded! A Bufflehead is a type of duck. Anyway, cowbirds do hang around cattle and horses, to eat all the insects around them, and used to follow Buffalo herds around back before we killed them all.

Answer 2

If you live in an area where the Buffleheaded Cowbird lives - you would see a bird that eats flies and ticks off of horses and cattle. These mid sized black and brown birds are common throughout Canada And most of North America. Where I live a farmer documented Cattle Egrets(Africa) on his farm. Migratory off coarse, by a storm probably. This is the bird that is common to Africa, that you see on Rhino's and all grazers.

Answer 3

I think it may be local thing. In Australia, we have birds called Flycatchers. The commonest is the Willie Wagtail. Often seen on horses backs, heads and rumps, catching flies. Often seen on sheep, especially at fly strike time and around milking sheds where the cows are the messiest. We also have introduced birds, such as English Starlings that have found horse's backs a rich source of protien. I think the horses get used to the birds after a period of time.

Answer 4

The birds are eating larva that are under the skin of the Rhino and other beasts. We don't have that type of infestation in the USA.Flys are kept off horses with wipe or fly masks. Perhaps the type of insect infestation is not a problem here.

Answer 5

There are flocks of dark birds on and around my horses all summer. It is hard to get the poop off. They are definitely eating flies.

Most photos of horses are taken when the horses are groomed and photo ready.

Answer 6

actually i have seen it done. my uncle and us have horses and not only have i seen flys sit on the horses butt and bite the horse plus we do happen to have a small fly larval problem with some flys laying eggs under a horses skin and besides a rino, let alone a horse, would not even let a bird poke its sharp pointy hard little beak under its skin to try and get a little fly maggot

Answer 7

Probably because horses buck and startle the birds.
The birds little sharp toenails are sharp and probably startle horses and make them panic.
I don't really know for certain but that sounds good.

Answer 8

Horses don't get flies and any that would be stupid enough to get close would get killed by its tail. They are bothered by "horse flies" biting their legs sometimes. That's when you see them stomping their legs.