會捕食蟎蟲或鑽進大型哺乳類動物的傷口撕食肉塊的小型鳥類。尖銳且特殊的喙方便其挖食暴露於傷口的組織，補充營養。雖然是鳥，但感覺更像是寄生生物。
In addition to eating ticks, yellow-billed oxpeckers have been observed scavenging wounds on large mammals. They have sharp, specialized beaks that allow them to dig into cuts and feed on exposed tissue, which provides a steady source of nutrition, though it creates a clearly parasitic relationship.