Oxpeckers are morphologically somewhat similar to starlings due to shared plesiomorphies, but are uniquely adapted to feed on parasites and blood of large land mammals, which has always obscured their relationships.
Os bufagos son aves morfoloxicamente algo similares aos estorniños debido a plesiomorfias compartidas, pero están adaptados unicamente a comer parasitos e sangue de grandes mamíferos terestres, o que sempre escureceu a súa relación.