An intriguing ecological phenomenon unfolds in the alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau, where the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) and the white-rumped snowfinch (Onychostruthus taczanowskii) co-occupy burrow systems. While previous studies have attributed the decline of snowfinch populations to direct poisoning from rodenticides used in pika control, our field studies indicate a different causal mechanism: snowfinch declines closely follow reductions in pika populations, rather than being caused by toxic exposure. Our field studies indicate that plateau pikas provide critical nesting sites, enhance food resource availability, and create safe take-off and landing zones for snowfinches. In return, snowfinches serve as early-warning allies, lowering the vigilance burden for pikas. This reciprocal association constitutes a bird–mammal mixed-species group (MSG), which contributes significantly to biodiversity maintenance and ecosystem functioning in high-altitude grasslands. Given that plateau pikas have been labeled as rangeland pests and subjected to widespread extermination efforts for over six decades in China, current control measures—particularly chemical poisoning—pose substantial risks to associated species and ecological stability. We recommend a shift towards sustainable, biodiversity-oriented management strategies for plateau pikas that acknowledge their ecological value and interspecific relationships.