Red-billed Oxpecker

The red-billed oxpecker, known scientifically as Buphagus erythrorynchus, is a passerine bird distinguished by its mutualistic relationship with large mammals. It is a member of the Buphagidae family, characterized by its striking red bill.

Identification Tips

Adult red-billed oxpeckers exhibit a sharp contrast between their red bills and predominantly brown plumage. Juveniles, however, are darker in color and possess an olive bill that transitions to the adult's red as they mature, a process taking approximately four months. In flight, these birds are robust and purposeful, easily recognized by their hissy, crackling calls.

Habitat

The red-billed oxpecker is a denizen of the open savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa, where it thrives in the expansive grasslands dotted with acacia trees.

Distribution

This species is widespread across the eastern savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa, from the Central African Republic and South Sudan in the north, extending southwards to the northern and eastern regions of South Africa.

Behaviour

Outside of breeding seasons, red-billed oxpeckers congregate in large, sociable flocks. They exhibit a fascinating behavior of nesting in tree holes, which they line with hair plucked from livestock. Their diet primarily consists of insects, but they are particularly known for perching on large mammals to feed on ticks and blood, a behavior that has earned them their name.

Song & Calls

The red-billed oxpecker's vocalizations are distinctive, described as a hissy, crackling "trik-quisss," which can be heard as they interact with each other or while in flight.

Breeding

Breeding red-billed oxpeckers lay clutches of two to five eggs, with three being the average, in nests lined with hair from animals such as impala.

Similar Species

The red-billed oxpecker can be confused with its close relative, the yellow-billed oxpecker, although the latter is less common in Southern Africa where their ranges overlap.

Diet and Feeding

An adult red-billed oxpecker can consume a significant number of blood-engorged ticks or thousands of larvae in a single day. While ticks are a part of their diet, these birds have a preference for blood, often pecking at wounds on mammals to keep them open for feeding.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the red-billed oxpecker as Least Concern, indicating that the species currently faces no significant threats to its survival.