Giraffe and Oxpecker

The oxpecker spends most of its day riding on large animals. On the African savanna, this small bird clings to giraffes, buffaloes, zebras and antelopes with its sharp claws. It combs through their coats with its beak and eats the ticks and insects it finds there. The bird gets a meal, and the giraffe is cleaned in places it cannot reach by itself. When danger comes close, the oxpecker hisses in alarm, and the giraffe hears the warning. A small bird, quietly helping an animal many times its size.

Part of the Aana’s Trunk nature-story series of board books that grow with your child. Read aloud from 0, read along from 3. Board book, 20 pages, 140 × 140 mm.

Written by Shruthi Padmanabhan, illustrated by Crafting Crimson.