5025 x 3363 px | 42,5 x 28,5 cm | 16,8 x 11,2 inches | 300dpi
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The oxpecker consists of two species of bird which make up the family Buphagidae; some ornithologists regard them as a subfamily Buphaginae within the starling family Sturnidae but they appear to be quite distinct Oxpeckers are endemic to sub-Saharan African savannah. According to the more recent studies of Muscicapoidea phylogeny (Cibois & Cracraft 2004, Zuccon et al. 2006), the oxpeckers are an ancient line related to Mimidae (mockingbirds and thrashers) and starlings but not particularly close to either. Considering the known biogeography of these groups, the most plausible explanation seems that the oxpecker lineage originated in Eastern or Southeastern Asia like the other two (Zuccon et al. 2006). This would make the two species of Buphagus something like living fossils, and elegantly demonstrates that such remnants of past evolution can possess striking and unique autapomorphic adaptations.
