Yellow-billed Oxpecker

Buphagus africanus

Other Names

  Tickbird   Piqueboeuf à bec jaune   Gelbschnabel-Madenhacker     Gulnäbbad oxhackare   Geelsnavel ossenpikker   Bufaga beccogiallo

World: Africa, from Senegal East to Ethiopia and South to South Africa except for forested areas in western and central Africa.

Kenya: Found mostly in the South-West of the country, avoiding drier areas.

This is one of 2 species of Oxpecker found in Kenya. It is similar to the Red-billed Oxpecker but fairly easy to distinguish. There's a number of differences but the most noticeable are the yellow base to the bill and lack of yellow ring around the eye in the Yellow-billed. The Yellow-billed is far less common than the Red-billed and tends to leave areas where cattle are treated to prevent ticks, as a result it's now mostly found in National Parks and Reserves. The most likely places to find it are Tsavo, Amboseli, the Maasai Mara and Nairobi National Park.