An old saying goes “birds of a feather flock together”. Sometimes the birds appear to think they’re horses.
In Elk City, Oklahoma, the owner of a mild-mannered brown and white horse named “Rocky” captured a fascinating scene in the barn using the digital camera on her cell phone. When she posted it on line, the video went viral. Some 40,000 people shared the clip on the popular social media website, Facebook!
Nancy, Rocky’s owner, had gone into the barn on a sunny day. She discovered the resident chicken, a gray and white Barred Rock hen named “Chickaleta,” communing with Rocky. In fact, the bird perched squarely atop Rocky’s head!
Rocky nodded his head several times, but Chickaleta remained in place. The horse’s movements failed to dislodge her.
The hen then strutted along the horse’s neck and across his withers and back. She flapped her wings several times. She appeared to have difficulty locating an ideal spot to return to the ground. Then she briefly turned around and stepped onto the ledge between the horse stalls in the barn. Another horse, curious, came over to investigate.
In nature, birds and horses sometimes reside in close proximity. The horses often don’t object to this arrangement, since the birds frequently use them as perches to search for insect pests. Birds will pluck circulating flies, fleas, gnats, mosquitoes or other insects from the horse’s vicinity. This symbiotic relationship helps both animals: horses enjoy personal grooming in difficult to reach locations and birds catch an easy meal!