oxpecker

noun

ox·​peck·​er ˈäks-ˌpe-kər 

: either of two small dull-colored African birds (Buphagus erythrorhynchus and B. africanus) of the starling family that feed on ticks which they pick from the backs of infested cattle and wild mammals

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The oxpecker birds seen on the giraffe's back and flying near it have a mutually beneficial relationship with the tall mammals. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Oct. 2022

The relationship between rhinos and oxpeckers goes way back. Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 16 Apr. 2020

Indeed, out of 100 rhino sightings, just 17 had oxpeckers perched on them. Eva Botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Apr. 2020

Even when oxpeckers were more plentiful, Dr. Knight says, the rhino population was being devastated. Eva Botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Apr. 2020

But according to a recent study, protection could come from an unlikely source: The small but mighty oxpecker. Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 16 Apr. 2020

Of those sightings, the majority—56—recorded oxpeckers perched on the animal’s hide. National Geographic, 9 Apr. 2020

Birds such as oxpeckers, for example, ride on the back of the buffalo and eat lice, fleas, and other parasites while getting a lift. Kylie Mohr, National Geographic, 9 Nov. 2019

The oxpecker birds of Africa pluck ticks and other insects off large mammals—and then slurp blood from their hosts’ sores. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 2 Dec. 2019

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Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above