This bird occurs in sub-Saharan Africa and feeds on ticks and flies while clinging to large mammals such as giraffes and cattle. Southern African accounts also describe nesting in tree cavities and, in some cases, helpers that assist a pair with chick care.
It has a short, thick red bill and large yellow rings around red eyes. The head, neck, wings and tail are brownish grey, with a pale yellow underside.
It walks over wild and domestic large mammals and eats ticks and other parasites on their skin. In southern Africa, giraffes are an important host; the birds nest in tree cavities and roost in trees or reedbeds at night.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.