Yellow billed oxpecker
Introduction: The sharp claws and short legs of the yellow-billed oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) allows them to cling, and therefore perch, on the backs of large mammals. Host animals includes black and white rhinoceros, kudu, eland, Burchell's zebra, Roan antelope, hippos, giraffe and domestic cattle. Those species found in the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip), only cling to cattle, giraffe and buffalo. The African elephant often reject birds.
Distribution: Epupa Falls, the far northern reaches of the Oshana Region, Etosha National Park and the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip).
Diet: Eats arthropods found on mammals, as well as drinks blood from wounds.
Description: A slender, medium-sized bird a long, graduated tail. Head, upper parts, wings and tail dark brown. Buphagus is Latin for 'ox-eating'.
Breeding: Usually 2 or 3 eggs are laid from September to November and incubated for around 13 days.
Size: 20cm.
Weight: 60g.
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