Which animal does the plover bird pick lice from?

This tiny bird is called the Egyptian Plover bird. She gets into the crocodile's mouth and picks out the tiny bits of food stuck in his teeth. What does she do with them? She eats them and often this completes her diet.

1. What does the plover eat?
2. What animal does the plover bird help?
3. What is the relationship between a crocodile and a plover bird?
4. Which bird cleans crocodile teeth?
5. What does a plover dig?
6. Where do plovers nest?
7. What sound does a plover bird make?
8. Where do Egyptian plover birds live?
9. Why is the Egyptian plover also called Crocodile Bird?
10. What is Commensalism and example?
11. What is symbiotic relationship example?
12. Are plovers carnivores?
13. Do crocodiles eat ostriches?
14. Does crocodile eat human?
15. Can a plover fly?
16. What does a plover look like?
17. Is a plover a seabird?

What does the plover eat?

Piping plovers feed along beaches and intertidal mud and sand flats. Primary prey for piping plovers includes worms, various crustaceans, insects, and occasionally bivalve mollusks.

What animal does the plover bird help?

Nile Crocodile and Egyptian Plover

The plover bird flies inside the crocodile's mouth, which may seem dangerous for the bird. However, the plover bird is actually getting a meal of its own by eating the meat from between the crocodile's teeth. Meanwhile, the crocodile is also benefitting from this arrangement.

What is the relationship between a crocodile and a plover bird?

Egyptian plovers and crocodiles have a unique symbiotic relationship. Because crocodiles cannot use dental floss, they get food stuck in their teeth. All that food rots their teeth and probably causes them some pain. When the crocodile feels the need for a good tooth cleaning it will sit with its mouth wide open.

Which bird cleans crocodile teeth?

The Egyptian Plover bird recognizes this invitation, and if one is nearby it will fly into the mouth of the crocodile, eat the food stuck in its teeth, and fly away. The plover gets a meal and the crocodile gets a valuable tooth cleaning: they both benefit.

What does a plover dig?

Male Piping Plovers scrape away sand, gravel, and shells with their feet to make a small depression. They make several small depressions or scrapes in the sand within their territory typically near small clumps of grass away from the water's edge, often near Least and Common Terns.

Where do plovers nest?

Plovers usually lay their eggs after local rains. They lay up to four eggs on the ground in a small depression in open areas so they can see their predators. However, these birds have now come to accept flat roofs as a suitable nesting site, as they are generally safe from humans and predation.

What sound does a plover bird make?

Calls. The most commonly heard call is the mellow, mournful-sounding flight call, a far-carrying pleeoooee, falling and then rising in tone.

Where do Egyptian plover birds live?

Habitat and range

The Egyptian plover is a localised resident in tropical sub-Saharan Africa. It breeds on sandbars in very large rivers.

Why is the Egyptian plover also called Crocodile Bird?

crocodile bird, (Pluvianus aegyptius), also called Egyptian plover, shorebird belonging to the family Glareolidae (order Charadriiformes). The crocodile bird is a courser that derives its name from its frequent association with the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus).

What is Commensalism and example?

Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits, while the other species is neither harmed nor helped. The species that gains the benefit is called the commensal. ... An example is a golden jackal (the commensal) following a tiger (the host) to feed on leftovers from its kills.

What is symbiotic relationship example?

The symbiotic relationship between an anemone (Heteractis magnifica) and a clownfish (Amphiron ocellaris) is a classic example of two organisms benefiting the other; the anemone provides the clownfish with protection and shelter, while the clownfish provides the anemone nutrients in the form of waste while also scaring ...

Are plovers carnivores?

Diet and Behavior. For the most part, plovers are carnivorous, eating insects, flies, and beetles while inland, and marine worms and crustaceans while on the shores. If necessary, plovers can also consume seeds and plant stems. Plovers have a wide variety of vocalizations, each specific to the species.

Do crocodiles eat ostriches?

As a flightless species in the rich biozone of the African savanna, the common ostrich must face a variety of formidable predators throughout its life cycle. Animals that prey on ostriches of all ages may include cheetahs, lions, leopards, African hunting dogs, spotted hyenas, and Nile crocodiles.

Does crocodile eat human?

The two species with the most well-known and documented reputation for preying on humans are the Nile crocodile and saltwater crocodile, and these are the perpetrators of the vast majority of both fatal and non-fatal crocodilian attacks.

Can a plover fly?

Both sexes incubate the eggs which hatch within 30 days, and both sexes feed the young until they can fly, about 30 days after hatching. Plovers depart for the wintering grounds from mid-July through late October.

What does a plover look like?

Piping Plovers are sandy grayish brown birds with white underparts and a narrow, often broken collar. They have yellowish orange legs in all seasons. In the breeding season, they have an orange bill with a black tip, a black collar, and a black line on the forehead.

Is a plover a seabird?

This is one of the largest groups within the 'waders' or shorebirds. They have quite short to long legs, but short bills; feed with characteristic run-stop-tilt forward action on areas of open sand, mud, shingle, bare earth or short turf.