Photo: Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-billed Oxpecker
Buphagus africanus
Yellow-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) is a member of the Buphagidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 58.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Buphagidae Oxpeckers
- Genus Buphagus
- Species africanus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 58.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Buphagidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) belongs to the Buphagidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 58.5 g, with a wing length of about 11.8 cm and a tail of around 9.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-billed Oxpecker?
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 58.5 g.
Where does the Yellow-billed Oxpecker live?
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Yellow-billed Oxpecker belong to?
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) belongs to the Buphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Yellow-billed Oxpecker eat?
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Yellow-billed Oxpecker migrate?
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Yellow-billed Oxpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Yellow-billed Oxpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-billed Oxpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Yellow-billed Oxpecker's range?
The Yellow-billed Oxpecker has a mapped global range of about 3.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
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Guides for this bird
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