Oxpeckers | Buphagidae

Ossenpikkers | Picabueyes

Two species, the Red-billed and Yellow-billed Oxpeckers, which depend entirely on large mammals such as buffalo, rhinos, giraffes, antelopes and cattle. Sharp, strongly curved claws let them cling to a host's hide at any angle, and the stiff, pointed tail braces the body the way a woodpecker's does. The laterally flattened bill is worked through the hair with a scissoring action to remove ticks, lice and botfly larvae. Oxpeckers also take blood and tissue from open wounds and may keep those wounds open, so whether the relationship is mutualism or parasitism is still debated. When disturbed they give a harsh, hissing rattle, which also puts the host on alert. They nest in tree cavities lined with hair plucked from their hosts, and extra birds often help raise the brood. They are related to the starlings but form a distinct lineage that branched off early.