Greater Honeyguide
Indicator indicator
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyIndicatoridae (Honeyguides)
- GenusIndicator (Typical Honeyguides)
- SpeciesIndicator indicator (Greater Honeyguide)
About the Greater Honeyguide
The greater honeyguide (Indicator indicator) is a bird in the family Indicatoridae, paleotropical near passerine birds related to the woodpeckers. Its English and scientific names refer to its habit of guiding people to bee colonies. Claims that it also guides non-human animals are disputed.
The greater honeyguide is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa. It lives in a variety of habitats with trees, especially dry open woodland, but not in the West African rain forest. The greater honeyguide has bold white patches on the sides of the tail, is about 20 cm (7.9 in) long and weighs about 50 g (1.8 oz). The male has a black throat, pink bill, dark grey-brown upperparts and white underparts. The wings are streaked whitish, and the shoulder patch is yellow. The female is duller, has a blackish bill, and her throat is black. Immature birds have olive-brown upperparts with a white rump, yellow throat and upper breast.
The greater honeyguide is known to guide people to the nests of wild bees. A guiding bird attracts a person's attention with wavering, chattering "'tya' notes compounded with peeps or pipes", sounds it also gives in aggression... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Greater Honeyguide in Aberdare National Park
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Lesser Honeyguide
Indicator minor
Scaly-throated Honeyguide
Indicator variegatus
Wahlberg's Honeyguide
Prodotiscus regulus
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Pogoniulus bilineatus
Moustached Tinkerbird
Pogoniulus leucomystax
Rufous-necked Wryneck
Jynx ruficollis
Cardinal Woodpecker
Dendropicos fuscescens
Red-fronted Barbet
Tricholaema diademata
Eastern Grey Woodpecker
Dendropicos spodocephalus
D'Arnaud's Barbet
Trachyphonus darnaudii
Nubian Woodpecker
Campethera nubica
Bearded Woodpecker
Chloropicus namaquus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Greater Honeyguide in Aberdare National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Honeyguide sighting in Aberdare National Park, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Greater Honeyguide in Aberdare National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Greater Honeyguide in Aberdare National Park in our monthly data.