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Birds
Red-billed oxpecker
Red-billed oxpecker · Buphagus erythrorynchus
The red-billed oxpecker cleans wild animals of parasites and stands out immediately thanks to its red bill.
Fact file
- Size
- About 20 centimetres long and weighs around 55 grams
- Males and females
- Males and females are hardly distinguishable in appearance
- Sounds
- Makes high-pitched clicking and hissing calls, often while feeding
- Diet
- Feeds mainly on ticks and skin parasites, which it picks off larger animals
- Offspring
- 3 to 5 eggs per clutch, nest usually in tree cavities, incubation time about two weeks
How to identify Red-billed oxpecker
The red-billed oxpecker is easy to recognise by its bright red bill. Its plumage is mostly grey-brown, with a slightly paler belly and chest.
Its yellow eye-rings are striking and, together with the bright red bill, form a clear contrast to the otherwise plain feathers. Adult birds reach a length of about 20 centimetres and have a slender, pointed body shape.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
Where Red-billed oxpecker live
Discover Red-billed oxpecker on your trip.
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