Yellow-billed oxpecker
Birds of Namibia
Introduction: The sharp claws and short legs of the yellow-billed oxpecker (Buphagus africanus) allows them to cling, and therefore perch, on the backs of large mammals. Host animals includes black and white rhinoceros, kudu, eland, Burchell's zebra, Roan antelope, hippos, giraffe and domestic cattle. Those species found in the Caprivi Strip, only cling to cattle, giraffe and buffalo. The African elephant often reject birds.
Distribution: Epupa Falls, the far northern reaches of the Oshana Region, Etosha National Park and the Caprivi Strip.Diet: Eats arthropods found on mammals, as well as drinks blood from wounds.
Description: A slender, medium-sized bird a long, graduated tail. Head, upper parts, wings and tail dark brown. Buphagus is Latin for 'ox-eating'.Breeding: Usually 2 or 3 eggs are laid from September to November and incubated for around 13 days.
Size: 20cm. Weight: 60g.
Dolphin Self Drive
3 Days - Two nights in the coastal town of Swakopmund, this is the ideal get-away for those living or working in Windhoek. Includes a catamaran cruise on the Walvis Lagoon
Elephant Self Drive
4 Days - Elephants, rhino, zebra & giraffe are just some of the animals you can expect to see while you are in Etosha
Springbuck Self Drive
8 Days - Etosha, Swakopmund & the dunes at Sossusvlei are the highlights of this trip
Puku Self Drive
10 Days - Botswana & Namibia combination self drive - includes Etosha Park and a mokoro trip in the Okavango Delta
Porcupine Self Drive
12 Days - Okonjima Bush Camp, Etosha, Damaraland, Erongo Mountains, Swakopmund & Sossusvlei
Meerkat Self Drive
14 Days - Okonjima, Etosha, Damaraland, Swakopmund, Sossusvlei, Klein Aus & Kalahari Desert
Leopard Self Drive
20 Days - Visits all the best Namibia has to offer including Okonjima, Etosha, Damaraland, elephant tracking, the Erongo Mountains, Swakopmund, Sossusvlei, Klein Aus Vista, Fish River Canyon & Kalahari Deserts
Honey Badger Self Drive
24 Days - As you would expect from our longest self drive safari, it visits most of Namibia including Owamboland & Kaokoland - two areas which seldom appear on trips through the country
