Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing oxpeckers. There are two living species of these birds: the red billed and the yellow billed oxpecker. They’re roughly the same size as each other, reaching about 8 inches (20cm) long and weighing about 2 ounces (55g). That's about the size of an American robin. The two species, however, have some observable distinctions. Red billed oxpeckers have red beaks with a yellow ring around their eyes; their beaks are more narrow. Yellow billed oxpeckers do not have yellow rings around their eyes, and they have a yellow, broad beak with a red tip. Though they do live separately, there are a few places where their ranges overlap and they live together, even on the same host!

Oxpeckers travel in small flocks of up to a dozen members. At night, they roost in trees, though some observations have found them roosting in giraffe armpits! These birds are solely found in sub Saharan Africa, so their hosts are limited to the animals also found there. Oxpeckers cling to mammals with their sharp claws and have stiff tails to provide support. Their hosts include large ungulates like african buffalo, hippos, rhinos, and giraffes. Oxpeckers may also cling to smaller hoofed animals like the impala, though they are not often found on hartebeest, reedbuck, and other small antelopes. Some hosts are more tolerant of oxpeckers, but when they want to rid themselves of the birds, host animals run through brush, swat with their tails, and roll on the ground.

Oxpeckers peck ticks from their hosts, hence their common name. They're also known as tickbirds and vampire birds for their feeding behavior. It’s debated if oxpeckers are beneficial to their hosts. While they do remove ticks, which can be vectors for disease, oxpeckers have a preference for certain types of ticks and will avoid other tick species over other food choices. These other food choices include the host’s earwax, eye secretions, dung, dead skin, and more. All of which may be irritatingly obtained by the oxpecker.

Another glaring issue is that these birds drink their host’s blood. This behavior is uncommon in birds, though we have previously talked about the mountain parrot who also does this. In some cases, oxpeckers open up old wounds on their host to get access to their host's blood. This is considered parasitic behavior, but the birds may also offer an early warning to danger by letting out a hiss if they feel threatened. It's undecided in the scientific community if oxpeckers are mutualistic towards their hosts, or if they're pests.

When they aren't plucking ticks or slurping blood, oxpeckers also catch insects in the air. As their host moves through tall grass, grasshoppers, flies, and more are startled up. This gives the oxpeckers a front row seat to an all they can eat buffet, though observations suggest the birds aren't great at catching food this way and these insects don't make up a large part of their diet.

Oxpeckers don't travel far from home. Released individuals have been seen only a few miles away from release sites months later. They spend so much time on their hosts that they even mate there! Their eggs are laid in a nest, usually a tree hole lined with fur collected from host species. They lay two to five eggs and the young develop adult plumage by eight months old. They remain with their parents to help raise the next year’s brood. It’s unknown how long these birds live in the wild.

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