Why do pidgeons appear to peck the ground even when there’s no obvious signs of food/crumbs?
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The rock/pebble thing is true. I asked a similar question to a bird expert. When I went to Edinburgh Zoo I saw they had a Rhino and there was a bird perched on it pecking at ticks and parasites.
I asked “Why in Scotland does a bird know it’s safe to peck a Rhino. It makes sense in Africa since the birds have evolved alongside Rhinos, but why here in Scotland?” The bird expert replied that birds have an in built instinct to peck at spots and dots. If an animal reacts and shoos the bird away, or the bird understands an animal might be dangerous, this will overwhelm that instinct. However, if an animal is docile towards the bird, the instinct will lead the bird to to peck at the dots (parasites and ticks) on the animal.
So no matter where you move these thick skinned animals like Rhinos and Elephants, the local bird population will quickly learn that they are a good source for a meal of ticks.
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