Foraging Behaviour and Host Responses of Oxpeckers (Buphagus spp.) Across Domestic and Wild Mammals

Abstract

This study investigated the foraging behaviours, host species utilisation, and spatial attachment preferences of Red-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus) and Yellow-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) in Salambala Conservancy, northeastern Namibia, from May to September 2023. A total of 1252 potential host animals were observed, including African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), cattle (Bos taurus), giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), and plains zebra (Equus quagga). Oxpecker-host interactions were recorded for 234 Red-billed Oxpecker and 69 Yellow-billed Oxpecker. Red-billed Oxpecker primarily exhibited perching and tick-feeding behaviours, particularly on buffalo and cattle, while Yellow-billed Oxpecker showed a stronger reliance on tick-feeding, especially on buffalo. Other feeding behaviours, such as the consumption of ear wax, mucus, and saliva, were mainly recorded on giraffe, suggesting resource diversification strategies. Host rejection and tolerance behaviours also differed among species, with buffalo and giraffe demonstrating higher tolerance levels compared to cattle and zebra, which exhibited elevated rejection responses. Oxpecker attachment patterns differed across host species and body regions. Preferred foraging regions included the back, head, and anogenital areas that are typically difficult for hosts to self-groom. These findings provide dry-season baseline data on oxpecker-host interactions in a mixed-use conservancy landscape and highlight behavioural flexibility in response to host species and tolerance. Interpretation of interspecific differences, particularly for Yellow-billed Oxpeckers, should be viewed as preliminary due to uneven sampling across hosts.