Greater Honeyguide
Greater HoneyguideGreater HoneyguideGreater HoneyguideGreater Honeyguide

Greater Honeyguide

Indicator indicator

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Samburu National Reserve
36 Verified sightings at Samburu National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
2,301 Verified sightings across all 44 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month highest sighting rate
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Samburu National Reserve

Lesser Honeyguide
LC

Lesser Honeyguide

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Indicator minor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Wahlberg's Honeyguide
LC

Wahlberg's Honeyguide

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prodotiscus regulus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Nubian Woodpecker
LC

Nubian Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campethera nubica

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Red-and-yellow Barbet
LC

Red-and-yellow Barbet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Trachyphonus erythrocephalus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
D'Arnaud's Barbet
LC

D'Arnaud's Barbet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Trachyphonus darnaudii

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Cardinal Woodpecker
LC

Cardinal Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendropicos fuscescens

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Black-throated Barbet
LC

Black-throated Barbet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tricholaema melanocephala

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Bearded Woodpecker

Bearded Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chloropicus namaquus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Red-fronted Barbet
LC

Red-fronted Barbet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tricholaema diademata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Eastern Grey Woodpecker
LC

Eastern Grey Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendropicos spodocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
African Grey Woodpecker
LC

African Grey Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendropicos goertae

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Greater Honeyguide in Samburu National Reserve?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Honeyguide sighting in Samburu National Reserve, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Greater Honeyguide in Samburu National Reserve?

September has the highest sighting rate for Greater Honeyguide in Samburu National Reserve in our monthly data.

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