The oxpeckers are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, where they occur in most open habitats. They are absent from the driest deserts and the rainforests. Their distribution is restricted by the presence of their preferred prey, specific species of ticks, and the animal hosts of those ticks.

Where does the oxpecker bird live?

The Redbilled oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus, is one of only two species of birds in the family Buphagidae. It is a fairly common bird, found in the savannah grassland and bushveld regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, from Ethiopia and Somalia all the way down to Mozambique and the north-eastern parts of South Africa.

Do oxpeckers live in trees?

Since they're dependent on large mammals to survive, oxpecker birds tend to live where their “hosts” live. They prefer open habitats like grasslands and savannas, but they'll go anywhere except deserts.