Lesser Honeyguide
Lesser HoneyguideLesser HoneyguideLesser HoneyguideLesser Honeyguide

Lesser Honeyguide

Indicator minor

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
at Lower Zambezi National Park
3 Verified sightings at Lower Zambezi National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,184 Verified sightings across all 50 parks From 2019 to 2026
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Lesser Honeyguide

The lesser honeyguide (Indicator minor) is a species of bird in the family Indicatoridae that is widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa. Like other honeyguides, it is a brood parasite that lays eggs most commonly in the nests of African barbets, but will also occasionally use the nests of other birds as well, such as starlings and woodpeckers.

The lesser honeyguide was formally described in 1815 by the English naturalist James Francis Stephens under the binomial name Indicator minor. Stephens based his account on "Le petit indicator" that had been described and illustrated in 1806 by the French naturalist François Levaillant based on specimens collected near the Swartkops River in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

Eight subspecies are recognised: I. m. conirostris (Cassin, 1856) – Nigeria to west Kenya, DR Congo and west Angola I. m. senegalensis Neumann, 1908 – Senegal and Gambia to north Cameroon, Chad and west Sudan I. m. riggenbachi Zedlitz, 1915 – central Cameroon to southwest Sudan and west Uganda

I. m. diadematus Rüppell, 1837 – central Sudan, Ethiopia and north Somalia I. m. teitensis Neumann, 1900 – southeast Sudan and Somalia to Zimbabwe and... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Lower Zambezi National Park

Greater Honeyguide
LC

Greater Honeyguide

🌙 Nocturnal Bird

Indicator indicator

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Cardinal Woodpecker
LC

Cardinal Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendropicos fuscescens

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Bearded Woodpecker

Bearded Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chloropicus namaquus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Golden-tailed Woodpecker
LC

Golden-tailed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campethera abingoni

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Bennett's Woodpecker
LC

Bennett's Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campethera bennettii

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black-collared Barbet
LC

Black-collared Barbet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lybius torquatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Crested Barbet
LC

Crested Barbet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Trachyphonus vaillantii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
LC

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pogoniulus chrysoconus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Black-Backed Barbet

Black-Backed Barbet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lybius minor

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
2 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
3 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
4 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
5 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
6 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
7 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
8 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
9 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
10 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
11 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
12 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
13 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
<5%
14 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
15 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
16 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
17 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
18 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
19 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
20 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
21 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
22 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
23 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
24 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
25 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
26 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
27 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
28 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
29 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
30 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
<5%
31 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
32 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
33 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
34 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
35 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
36 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
37 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
38 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
39 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
40 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
41 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
42 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
43 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
44 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
45 Golden Gate Highlands National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
46 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
47 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
48 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
49 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
50 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
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