The red-billed oxpecker lives among the largest mammals in eastern Africa. Gray plumage graduating to a cream color for the belly, a solid red beak and yellow-lined eyes define their look. Oxpeckers are relatively small; growing 18 to 23 centimeters, they are only slightly larger than a sparrow. Oxpeckers like to nest in cavities and are known to pull tufts of fur off their hosts—and even nearby sheep—to line their nests.

Concerning their living arrangements, they’ve landed on the sunny side of life. Oxpeckers tend to spend most of their time on the backs of large herbivores, freeing their hosts of pests and insects by eating them. Oxpeckers usually hitch rides on large animals like elephants, giraffes, buffalos, zebras and rhinos but, in areas with cattle, they will also feed on farm animal pests. A full-grown oxpecker will eat hundreds of bugs per day, so it's an excellent ally to have. 

Much like an alarm system, oxpeckers will cause quite a racket when a predator approaches the host animal For animals with poor eyesight, such as the rhinoceros, this can prove vital. In turn, living on the backs of large animals protects the oxpecker from birds of prey.

Swarovski designer Heinz Tabertshofer created this year's event piece, the Oxpecker Kali. More than twenty years of design experience and a wealth of technical know-how gives him a unique understanding of crystal and how to shape it. His meticulous designs speak of his appreciation for nature, which serves as a constant source of inspiration. Heinz Tabertshofer’s Oxpecker Kali is created in stunning clear crystal with colored accents. A close look at the eyes reveals his love of detail: A Light Topaz crystal background is complemented by dazzling Sun crystal and a Moroda crystal pupil. The 205 brilliantly positioned facets play with the light, adding the signature Swarovski touch to this piece.

Le Pique-bœuf Kali est une pièce réservée aux membres de la Swarovski Crystal Society lors d'événements SCS, et se marie à merveille avec l'Édition Annuelle du Zèbre Amai SCS pour compléter votre collection de pièces Elegance of Africa.

Les invitations sont envoyées deux à trois semaines avant les événements SCS locaux, ce qui vous laisse tout le temps nécessaire pour vous organiser et vous inscrire. Cette année, les événements SCS en ligne auront lieu du début de l'été à l'automne 2021, et toutes les informations vous seront communiquées dans la newsletter SCS. Si vous souhaitez devenir membre, vous pouvez facilement vous inscrire en ligne et profiter d'avantages instantanés. N'hésitez pas à contacter le Service clientèle si vous avez la moindre question.