In population, Nigeria ranks as the most populous country in Africa; in size, it ranks as the 14th largest. Niger and Nigeria take their name from the Niger River, the 3rd longest river in Africa. The Niger River passes through both countries before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of Guinea.
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Buphagus africanus - The yellow-billed oxpecker has a habit of perching on wild and domesticated mammals to pick off ticks and other parasites. This is beneficial to the host animal, but the oxpecker will sometimes keep the wound open with continued pecking as a means of feeding on the blood directly. Keeping the wound open does allow the oxpecker to thoroughly clean the wound before it scabs over. The host animals tend to tolerate this practice. The oxpecker also plucks hair from the animal’s hide and uses it as a nest liner.
