ComingsBirds.com/KenyaTanzaniaL-Z

To the Beauty of Birds

The Red-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus) is a passerine bird in the starling and myna family Sturnidae; some ornithologists regard the oxpeckers to be in a family by themselves, the Buphagidae. It is native to the savannah of sub-Saharan Africa, from the Central African Republic east to Sudan and south to northern and eastern South Africa. See range map. Its range overlaps that of the less widespread yellow-billed oxpecker.

The red-billed oxpecker nests in tree holes lined with hair plucked from livestock. It lays 2–5 eggs, with three being the average. Outside the breeding season it forms large, chattering flocks.

The red-billed oxpecker feeds on ticks found on other animals such as this impala
The preferred habitat is open country, and the Red-billed Oxpecker eats insects. Both the English and scientific names arise from this species' habit of perching on large wild and domesticated mammals such as cattle and eating ticks. An adult will take nearly 100 engorged female Boophilus decoloratus ticks, or more than 12,000 larvae in a day.

However, their preferred food is blood, and while they may take ticks bloated with blood, they also feed on it directly, pecking at the mammal's wounds to keep them open to more parasites.

This is a medium-sized passerine, 20 cm long with strong feet. The Red-billed Oxpecker has plain brown upperparts and head, buff underparts and a pale rump. The bill is red, and adults have a yellow eyering, both clear distinctions from the related yellow-billed oxpecker. Its flight is strong and direct, and the call is a hissy crackling trik-quisss.

Red-billed Oxpecker

Oxpecker Red-billed 3171

Oxpecker Red-billed 3173

Oxpecker Red-biled 7932

Oxpecker Red-billed 9591

Oxpeckers Red-billed 9592

Oxpecker Red-billed 50022

Oxpeckers Red-billed on a Zebra 9447

Range map Red-bellied Oxpecker