Honeyguide
Honeyguides are a unique group of birds belonging to the family Indicatoridae, primarily found in the evergreen forests and open woodlands of Africa and Asia. There are 16 species across four genera, characterized by their dull plumage, which can range from olive to gray or brownish, often with lighter underparts and occasional yellow or orange markings. These small birds, averaging four to eight inches in length and weighing between half an ounce to two ounces, are notable for their fascinating behavior of guiding humans and larger mammals to bees' nests, from which they derive food.
Honeyguides primarily consume insects and wax, with some species capable of surviving solely on wax for extended periods. Their reproductive strategy is particularly interesting; females often lay their eggs in the nests of other species, a practice that allows the host female to care for their young. The young honeyguides exhibit unique adaptations, such as hooks on their bills, which they use to eliminate competition from the host's chicks. While honeyguides face challenges from habitat loss due to human development, they are currently not considered a threatened species. Their average lifespan ranges between 10 to 12 years, and they typically produce a simple, monotonous song, adding to their understated presence in the avian world.
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Honeyguide
Due to the honeyguide's dull plumage, remote habitat, and quiet nature, this bird is among the least known of any birds. The bird receives its name for its tendency to guide people and other large mammals to bees' nests.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Indicatoridae
Genus: Various (see below)
Species: Various (see below)
There are four genera and 16 species of honeyguides. The honeyguide is found in the evergreen forest and open woodlands of Africa and Asia. A fully grown honeyguide reaches a length of four to eight inches (10 to 20 centimeters) and a weight of 1/2 to 2 ounces (10 to 55 grams). This varies with different species. The plumage, or feathering, may be olive, gray or brownish, paler below, and often with white sides to the tail. Two species have patches of yellow feathering on their wings, and another has orange on its head and rump.
The diet of the honeyguide is based on insects. All species also include some kind of wax in their diets. Some species, such as the lesser and greater honeyguides, can survive on a diet of pure wax for about 30 days. Some of the smaller species eat scale insects which are covered with a thick coating of wax.
The male Indian honeyguide guards bees' nests from which it feeds. It allows a female at the nest provided she mate with the male. In other species, males let out simple monotonous calls to prospective females from their perches.
After mating, the female lays one white, or blue in one species, hard-shelled egg in a nest. The nest usually consists of a hole in a tree or bank, or in the nest of another species. In some cases, the female drops her egg in the nest of another honeyguide. The egg is left to be incubated by what is called the host female. The incubation period for the egg lasts 12 to 13 days. In some species, the chick hatches with sharp hooks on the ends of its bill. This bill is sometimes used to crack open the unhatched eggs of the host female or to kill her chicks. By killing the chicks of the host female, the young bird guarantees itself food and protection, without competition from other chicks. The nestling period for the honeyguide chick is 38 to 40 days. During this time, its flight feathers develop and it prepares itself for its first flight.
There are no known predators of honeyguides. Their average life span is between 10 and 12 years. The future of the honeyguide rests on the shoulders of human development. As more and more businesses cut and clear forests and woodlands for their factories and office buildings, the honeyguides are forced to adapt to living in smaller areas. However, they are not a threatened species.
The voice of the honeyguide is not a familiar one. The males of several species produce a simple, monotonous song from a high perch.
Here are six of the 16 species of honeyguides:
Yellow-footed honeyguide Melignomon eisentrauti
Greater, or black-throated honeyguide Indicator indicator
Yellow-rumped honeyguide Indicator xanthonotus
Lesser honeyguide Indicator minor
Lyre-tailed honeyguide Melichneutes robustus
Scaly-throated honeyguide Indicator variegatus
Bibliography
Greenfieldboyce, Nell. “Wild African Honeyguide Birds Learn the Special Calls of their Human Partners: Goats and Soda.” NPR, 7 Dec. 2023, www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/12/07/1217800692/african-honeyguide-bird-calls-honey-human-cultural-evolution. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.
“Indicatoridae - Honeyguides - Wildlife Journal Junior.” New Hampshire PBS, 2023, nhpbs.org/wild/Indicatoridae.asp. Accessed 13 Apr. 2024.