Interactions Between Birds and Mammals in Turkey - Documentation of Symbiotic Relations

Abstract

Various bird species belonging to more than one family interact with mammals. In this study, we investigated bird and mammal interactions in Turkey based on photograph databases. We found that eight bird species of four families directly interact with five mammal species, particularly grazing mammals. Birds were observed picking the ectoparasites on the mammals’ bodies. The interactions were recorded in spring more than in the other seasons. As the photos demonstrate only a moment, detailed and systematic site-based studies are required to understand these interactions better. © Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2022.