yellow-billed oxpecker

bird

Also known as: Buphagus africanus

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Last updated

July 15, 2026

Quick Summary

The yellow-billed oxpecker is a bird species native to Africa, belonging to the genus Buphagus. These birds, measuring about 20 cm (8 inches) long, are brown and possess wide bills, stiff tails, and sharp claws.1

Yellow-billed oxpeckers are known for perching on large mammals like cattle, zebras, and rhinoceroses. They feed on ticks, flies, and maggots found on the animals' hides. When they sense danger, they hiss to alert their mammal companions. While some once believed oxpeckers consumed animal blood, research indicates they primarily target areas with high tick densities, suggesting a mutualistic relationship rather than parasitism.1

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oxpecker
Both species—the yellow-billed (B. africanus) and the red-billed (B. erythrorhynchus)—are brown, measure 20 cm (8 inches) long, and have wide bills, stiff tails, and sharp claws. They perch on and cling to cattle, zebras, rhinoceroses, and other ungulates to remove ticks,
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Both species—the yellow-billed (B. africanus) and the red-billed (B. erythrorhynchus)—are brown, measure 20 cm (8 inches) long, and have wide bills, stiff tails, and sharp claws. They perch on and cling to cattle, zebras, rhinoceroses, and other ungulates to remove ticks,
Read More