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Red-Billed Oxpecker

Buphagus erythrorhynchus

Photo by Jared Hersch
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

Red-Billed oxpecker cleaning up a Male Impala!

Habitat:

Male Impala ;-)

Notes:

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.

Reference Links:

Red-billed Oxpecker

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (11)
KarenL
Fun fact! The red-billed oxpecker is endemic to the savanna of Sub-Saharan Africa, and gets its name from its habit of perching on large mammals and eating ticks, botfly larvae, and other parasites. The birds are also known to help clean-up open wounds and to remove earwax! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153369054105603&set=a.10152575329380603.958289.10150120463815603&type=1
Jared Hersch
Thx guys!! Wouldn't want that guy to be working on my face!
Ava T-B
Please add this lovely spotting to the symbiotic relationships mission at http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/7987627 and remove it please from the Nests, hives, bowers.... mission.
The MnMs
I have read that they could be more harmful than just helping deparasite the animals but in my opinion this impala seems to be quite happy with the job they are doing on him :-)

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Symbiotic Relationships
Mission
Nests, hives, bowers, webs & other animal architecture
Mission
Hunters & Animal Food Habits
Mission
Wildlife of Southern Africa
Mission
2013 Best Wildlife Photo
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project

Tags

Photographed
PublishedSeptember 29, 2013

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