Red-billed oxpecker
The red-billed oxpecker ("Buphagus erythrorynchus") is a passerine bird in the oxpecker family, Buphagidae. It is native to the savannah of sub-Saharan Africa, from the Central African Republic east to South Sudan and south to northern and eastern South Africa. Its range overlaps that of the less widespread yellow-billed oxpecker. Distribution. The red-billed oxpecker is a native of the savanna of sub-Saharan Africa. It ranges across Ethiopia and Somalia through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia to southern Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, and north-eastern South Africa. Description. A juvenile oxpecker is  darker brown than its parents. Its bill is dark olive at first, but gradually takes on adult colouration after four months. Its flight is strong and direct, and their call is a hissy crackling "trik-quisss". Behaviour. 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. The preferred habitat is open country, and the red-billed oxpecker eats insects. Both the English and scientific names arise from this species' habit of perching on large wild and domesticated  mammals such as cattle and eating ticks. One unusual aspect is the bird can perch on the udders of an impala and suck its milk. This species's relationship with rhinos gives the Swahili name "Askari wa kifaru" meaning "the rhino's guard". An adult will take nearly 100 blood-engorged female "Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus" ticks, or more than 12,000 larvae in a day. However, their preferred food is blood, and while they may take ticks bloated with blood, they also feed on it directly, pecking at the mammal's wounds to keep them open. Field observations in rhinos have  shown oxpeckers warning the nearsighted rhino from danger.