oxpecker
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8.8
A small African bird that sits on large animals and eats ticks and other insects
- noun
- /ˈɑksˌpɛkər/
- South African
:
pájaro picabuey
- An oxpecker is often seen perched on large mammals, enjoying a meal of insects and parasites.
Examples
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Sullivan was unknown to the New York oxpecker crowd when she was appointed, and as she engages, her views are, naturally, coming into focus.
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The oxpecker lands on the back of the buffalo to eat the ticks from its fur.
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Farmers often appreciate the presence of the oxpecker, as it helps keep their cattle free from pests.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word oxpecker comes from the English parts ox, meaning 'cow' or cattle, and pecker, from peck meaning 'to pick at with the beak', just like in woodpecker. So an oxpecker is literally a bird that picks ticks and other bugs off oxen and large animals, which is why you often see it on buffalo and rhinos.