Oxpecker

Oxpeckers, called tickbirds, are small, omnivorous birds living in sub-Saharan Africa. They peck, or pick, parasitic insects from the bodies of large mammals like oxen, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and warthogs. The two species of oxpeckers, yellow-billed and red-billed, receive their name from the color of their bills.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Buphagidae

Genus: Buphagus

Species: Buphagus erythrorhynchus, Buphagus africanus

Both species of oxpeckers are seven to nine inches (17 1/2 to 22 1/2 centimeters) long. Their plumage, or feathering, is dark brown on their heads, backs, and wings, with varying shades of yellowish-brown underneath. One noted difference between the two species is their bills. The red-billed oxpeckers' bills are completely red, while the yellow-billed oxpeckers have red tips on their yellow bills. The yellow-billed species is slightly larger and tends to live in West Africa.

The red-billed and yellow-billed oxpeckers are common across sub-Saharan Africa's wide, grassy savannas. These medium-sized bird species primarily live in the savannas because of the relationship they maintain with large mammals like warthogs, giraffes, rhinoceroses, zebras, water buffalo, oxen, and cows. Oxpeckers feed on tiny, blood-sucking parasites and insects that live on the skin of large mammals. In general, parasites are tiny organisms that live on or in another creature, called a host, and cause illness or even death. Some animals—waterbuck, steenbuck, hartebeest, and elephants—do not always welcome oxpeckers and become annoyed if they try to perch on their backs.

Oxpeckers' bills are flattened on the sides and pointed at the tips. They push their bills through the animals' hair and skin, nibbling ticks and blood-sucking flies while moving across their bodies. Host animals allow oxpeckers to search their ears and noses. As many as a dozen oxpeckers may perch on one animal. Their perching-style footthree toes facing forward and one facing backwardallows them to maintain a grip on large mammals while feeding.

Oxpeckers also feed on the dead skin and raw flesh of wounds and open sores. They help keep these areas clean and promote healing. Oxpeckers also help warn other animals of danger by loudly hissing when they sense danger. They may also make shrill whistles or barking noises.

Oxpeckers eat in the morning and late afternoon and rest during the day's hottest hours. At night, large flocks of oxpeckers roost in trees or on cliffs and buildings.

Depending on the rainy season, oxpeckers break from their flocks and begin nesting for the mating season. They form small groups of up to five birds and find holes in trees or cavities in rocks. The group members form a nest from grass and plant fibers in the hole and then line it with hair and fur. Only two birds in the group mate and incubate one to five eggs. Females lay two or three pinkish-white eggs with brown and purple spots. Incubation lasts 12 to 13 days, and the male and female take turns sitting on the eggs every hour, but the female keeps them warm through the night. Other group members help feed newly hatched oxpecker chicks in the nest for one month and up to three months after the chicks leave the nest. They mate at one year of age. A pair of oxpeckers may have as many as three broods, or groups of young, per season. Oxpeckers may live as long as 15 years.

Oxpeckers are common in sub-Saharan Africa near large herds of animals. They are less common in places where farmers use chemicals to kill ticks.

The two species of oxpeckers are:

Red-billed oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus

Yellow-billed oxpecker Buphagus africanus

Bibliography

Armstrong, Tavia F. "Oxpecker." A-Z Animals, 2 Nov. 2022, a-z-animals.com/animals/oxpecker. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

"Red-billed Oxpecker." Animalia, animalia.bio/red-billed-oxpecker. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

"Red-billed Oxpecker." Birds of the World, birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/reboxp1/cur/introduction. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.