Scientific name:
Buphagus

Natural spread:
Africa

the two types of the maggot-hacker-stars, the yellow-beak-maggot-hackers (Buphagus africanus, 22,5 cm of length) and the red-beak-maggot-hacker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus, 17,5 cm of length), occurs exclusively in Africa south from the Sahara. they live in open terrain and farm-country and are near pets (cows, horses) and big game (zebras, rhinoceroses, elephants).

Shape The short penetrated beak, the short legs with strongly bent claws and the stiff tail deviate from the physique of the actual stars, is especially well adjusted the way of life of the maggot-hacker-stars, however. they are on all big animals namely, whether wildly or domesticates to find.

Maggot-heels Like a woodpecker, they climb around at the animals in order to scan it after ticks and the larvae of blood-sucking flies. The animals put up themselves that the maggot-hacker-starlings actually increase the wounds unnecessarily strongly in order to reach the parasites. Surely, they eat also from the meat of these animals, destroys a mass of ticks and fly-larvae on that occasion, however. While the Africans are hired very positively opposite the birds, they are not seen so gladly of many European settlers since the distance of the parasites with "medications" for the host is much more harmlessly.

Guard-function Particularly the game-animals still have another advantage if the birds accompany it on its back. If they notice a "enemy" namely, so the maggot-hacker-starlings with the back of the mammal form a line, direct the beak steeply upward and express an alarm-reputation. This is understood also from the game-animal and prevents already some hunter the shooting down.

Reproduction This carelessly from grass or straw of linked nests is in tree-caves to find particularly with the red-beak-maggot-hacker also under rock-pre-jumps, in stone-walls and under house-roofs. they are padded with hair. The 3-5 eggs are hatched in 11-12 days. Until the boys leave the nest, they must still be looked after from the parents approximately 28 days.