Hitching a ride, Assam, India

Egret riding buffalo

Cattle egrets are widely distributed throughout the world and are,  as their name suggests,  often found near large grazing animals such as cattle and buffalo.   Frequently they’re at the feet of grazers hoping their footsteps will stir up insects that they can feed on.   In what is a symbiotic relationship,  the buffalo probably benefits by having the number of irritating and potentially debilitating parasites reduced.   In this instance in Assam,  India,  the buffalo proved to be a source of transport as well!

Egret riding buffalo
Cattle Egret hitches a ride on a Water Buffalo. A symbiotic relationship

Canon 5D Mark 2 with 70-300mm zoom at 300mm F5.6,  shutter speed 1/500 second at ISO 2000.

This image is part of the Assam Wildlife image gallery.  ~KD.