Giant sengi or elephant-shrew (Rhynchocyon species) interactions with Red-Capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis) and White-Chested Alethe (Chamaetylas fuelleborni) in Tanzania

Using camera traps and direct observations, we recorded interactions between three species of giant sengi (Rhynchocyon sp.) and two insectivorous bird species from five forests in Tanzania. In all instances, the birds closely followed the giant sengis who were moving and foraging in the leaf litter. Given the two bird species are insectivorous and follow ant swarms to obtain flushed prey, these interactions suggest that following the sengi represents an adaptive foraging strategy. Our observations indicate that these behaviors and associations may be more pervasive than previously thought.