Honeyguide
Encyclopedia
Honeyguides are near passerine
bird
species of the order Piciformes
. They are also known as indicator birds, or honey birds, although the latter term is also used more narrowly to refer to species of the genus Prodotiscus. They have an Old World
tropical distribution, with the greatest number of species in Africa
and two in Asia
. These birds are best known for their interaction with humans. Honeyguides are noted and named for one or two species that will deliberately lead humans directly to bee colonies, so that they can feast on the grubs that are left behind.
_-_juvenile_fed_by_host_parent_rock-loving_cisticola.jpg)
Most honeyguides are dull-colored, though a few have bright yellow in the plumage. All have light outer tail feathers, which are white in all the African species.
They are among the few birds that feed regularly on wax
—beeswax
in most species, and presumably the waxy secretions of scale insect
s in the genus Prodotiscus and to a lesser extent in Melignomon
and the smaller species of Indicator
. They also feed on the larvae and on waxworm
s (caterpillars of Galleria mellonella) in bee
colonies, and on flying and crawling insects, spider
s, and occasional fruits. Many species join mixed-species feeding flock
s.
Honeyguides are named for a remarkable habit seen in one or two species: they guide humans (and more controversially the Honey Badger in eastern Africa) to bee colonies
. Once the hive is open and the honey is taken, the bird feeds on the remaining wax and larvae. This behavior is well studied in the Greater Honeyguide
; some authorities (following Friedmann, 1955) state that it also occurs in the Scaly-throated Honeyguide
, while others disagree (Short and Horne, 2002).
Although most members of the family are not known to recruit "followers" in their quest for wax, they are also referred to as "honeyguides" by linguistic extrapolation.
The breeding behavior of eight species in Indicator and Prodotiscus is known. They are all brood parasite
s that lay one egg
in a nest of another species, laying eggs in series of about five during five to seven days. Most favor hole-nesting species, often the related barbet
s and woodpecker
s, but Prodotiscus parasitizes cup-nesters such as white-eye
s and warbler
s. Honeyguide nestlings have been known to physically eject their host's chicks from the nest and they have hooks on their beak
s with which they puncture the hosts' eggs or kill the nestlings.
African honeyguide birds are known to lay their eggs in underground nest of other bee eating bird species. Scientists have recently found that honeyguide chicks kill the hatchlings of the host nest in brutal attacks using their needle sharp beaks just after hatching, much like what cuckoo
hatchlings do, who are also hatched in other birds nest. The scientists also found that these blind, featherless chicks sometimes are 3 times heavier than host chicks. According to Dr Claire Spottiswoode who led the team of scientists, and whose research has been published in the journal Biology Letters
"The honeyguide mother ensures her chick hatches first by internally incubating the egg for an extra day before laying it, so it has a head start in development compared to the host,".
in four genera
compose the Indicatoridae.
FAMILY: INDICATORIDAE Genus: Melichneutes
Genus: Melignomon
Zenker's Honeyguide
, Melignomon zenkeri
Genus: Prodotiscus
Near passerine
Near passerine or higher land-bird assemblage are terms often given to arboreal birds or those most often believed to be related to the true passerines due to ecological similarities; the group corresponds to some extent with the Anomalogonatae of Garrod All near passerines are land birds...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
species of the order Piciformes
Piciformes
Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives...
. They are also known as indicator birds, or honey birds, although the latter term is also used more narrowly to refer to species of the genus Prodotiscus. They have an Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
tropical distribution, with the greatest number of species in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and two in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. These birds are best known for their interaction with humans. Honeyguides are noted and named for one or two species that will deliberately lead humans directly to bee colonies, so that they can feast on the grubs that are left behind.
Description
They are among the few birds that feed regularly on wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
—beeswax
Beeswax
Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees of the genus Apis. It is mainly esters of fatty acids and various long chain alcohols...
in most species, and presumably the waxy secretions of scale insect
Scale insect
The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects.-Ecology:...
s in the genus Prodotiscus and to a lesser extent in Melignomon
Melignomon
Melignomon is a genus of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It contains the following species:* Yellow-footed Honeyguide * Zenker's Honeyguide...
and the smaller species of Indicator
Indicator (genus)
Indicator is a genus of near passerine birds in the honeyguide family. The name refers to the behaviour of some species, notably the Greater Honeyguide, which guide large mammals such as ratels and humans to bee colonies so that they can share in the spoils of wax and insects when the nest is...
. They also feed on the larvae and on waxworm
Waxworm
Waxworms are the caterpillar larvae of wax moths, which belong to the snout moth family . Two closely related species are commercially bred – the lesser wax moth and the greater wax moth...
s (caterpillars of Galleria mellonella) in bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
colonies, and on flying and crawling insects, spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, and occasional fruits. Many species join mixed-species feeding flock
Mixed-species feeding flock
A mixed-species feeding flock, also termed a mixed-species foraging flock, mixed hunting party or informally bird wave, is a flock of usually insectivorous birds of different species, that join each other and move together while foraging...
s.
Honeyguides are named for a remarkable habit seen in one or two species: they guide humans (and more controversially the Honey Badger in eastern Africa) to bee colonies
Bee Hive
The term Bee Hive can refer to:*Bee hive, an alternate spelling of the word beehive*Bee Hive, Alabama, an unincorporated community*The Bee-Hive , a 19th century British newspaper*Bee Hive Records, a jazz record label...
. Once the hive is open and the honey is taken, the bird feeds on the remaining wax and larvae. This behavior is well studied in the Greater Honeyguide
Greater Honeyguide
The Greater Honeyguide 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....
; some authorities (following Friedmann, 1955) state that it also occurs in the Scaly-throated Honeyguide
Scaly-throated Honeyguide
The Scaly-throated Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife...
, while others disagree (Short and Horne, 2002).
Although most members of the family are not known to recruit "followers" in their quest for wax, they are also referred to as "honeyguides" by linguistic extrapolation.
The breeding behavior of eight species in Indicator and Prodotiscus is known. They are all brood parasite
Brood parasite
Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same or different species to raise the young of the brood-parasite...
s that lay one egg
Bird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
in a nest of another species, laying eggs in series of about five during five to seven days. Most favor hole-nesting species, often the related barbet
Barbet
American barbets, family Capitonidae, are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes which inhabit humid forests in Central and South America. They are closely related to the toucans....
s and woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, but Prodotiscus parasitizes cup-nesters such as white-eye
White-eye
White-eye can refer to:*White-eye , a large family of birds.*White-eye , a species of fish.*White-eye mutation, a mutation in Drosophila melanogaster linked to the X chromosome, found by reciprocal cross breeding experiments in 1906.*A lioness member of the Marsh Pride of lions that have featured...
s and warbler
Old World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
s. Honeyguide nestlings have been known to physically eject their host's chicks from the nest and they have hooks on their beak
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
s with which they puncture the hosts' eggs or kill the nestlings.
African honeyguide birds are known to lay their eggs in underground nest of other bee eating bird species. Scientists have recently found that honeyguide chicks kill the hatchlings of the host nest in brutal attacks using their needle sharp beaks just after hatching, much like what cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
hatchlings do, who are also hatched in other birds nest. The scientists also found that these blind, featherless chicks sometimes are 3 times heavier than host chicks. According to Dr Claire Spottiswoode who led the team of scientists, and whose research has been published in the journal Biology Letters
Biology Letters
Biology Letters is a peer-reviewed scientific journal. It was split off as a separate journal from the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences in 2005 after having been published as a supplement. Originally it was published quarterly, but from 2007 it has been...
"The honeyguide mother ensures her chick hatches first by internally incubating the egg for an extra day before laying it, so it has a head start in development compared to the host,".
Species
Seventeen speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in four genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
compose the Indicatoridae.
FAMILY: INDICATORIDAE
- Genus: IndicatorIndicator (genus)Indicator is a genus of near passerine birds in the honeyguide family. The name refers to the behaviour of some species, notably the Greater Honeyguide, which guide large mammals such as ratels and humans to bee colonies so that they can share in the spoils of wax and insects when the nest is...
- Spotted HoneyguideSpotted HoneyguideThe Spotted Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria,...
,
- Spotted Honeyguide
- Scaly-throated HoneyguideScaly-throated HoneyguideThe Scaly-throated Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife...
, Indicator variegatus - Greater HoneyguideGreater HoneyguideThe Greater Honeyguide 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....
, Indicator indicator - Malaysian HoneyguideMalaysian HoneyguideThe Malaysian Honeyguide, Indicator archipelagicus is a medium-sized, up to 18cm long, olive-brown honeyguide with greenish streaks, reddish iris, thick grey bill and greyish white below. The male has a yellow patch on the shoulder, while the female has none...
, Indicator archipelagicus - Lesser HoneyguideLesser HoneyguideThe Lesser Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia,...
, Indicator minor - Thick-billed HoneyguideThick-billed HoneyguideThe Thick-billed Honeyguide is a bird of the honeyguide family Indicatoridae. It has been reported interbreeding with the related Lesser Honeyguide and the two are sometimes treated as a single species....
, Indicator conirostris - Willcocks's HoneyguideWillcocks's HoneyguideThe Willcocks's Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and...
, Indicator willcocksi - Least HoneyguideLeast HoneyguideThe Least Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra...
, Indicator exilis - Dwarf HoneyguideDwarf HoneyguideThe Dwarf Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and possibly Burundi.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
, Indicator pumilio - Pallid HoneyguidePallid HoneyguideThe Pallid Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
, Indicator meliphilus - Yellow-rumped HoneyguideYellow-rumped HoneyguideThe Yellow-rumped Honeyguide is a sparrow-sized bird in the honeyguide family that is found in Asia, mainly in montane forests along the Himalayas. They are very finch-like but the feet are strong and the feet are zygodactyl, with two toes facing forward and two backward. They perch on honeycombs...
, Indicator xanthonotus
- Lyre-tailed HoneyguideLyre-tailed HoneyguideThe Lyre-tailed Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family. It is monotypic within the genus Melichneutes....
, Melichneutes robustus
Melignomon
Melignomon is a genus of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It contains the following species:* Yellow-footed Honeyguide * Zenker's Honeyguide...
- Yellow-footed HoneyguideYellow-footed HoneyguideThe Yellow-footed Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Cameroon, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, possibly Ivory Coast, and possibly Ghana....
,
Zenker's Honeyguide
The Zenker's Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Uganda....
, Melignomon zenkeri
- Cassin's Honeybird, Prodotiscus insignis
- Green-backed Honeybird, Prodotiscus zambesiae
- Brown-backed Honeybird, Prodotiscus regulus
External links
- Barbet videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Don Roberson's Bird Families of the World
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t_vXWgoWdcYouTube Video: HONEY GUIDE BIRD Guiding ratelRatelThe honey badger , also known as the ratel, is a species of mustelid native to Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species, instead bearing more anatomical similarities to weasels...
/honey badger to a beehive] - YouTube Video: Honey Guide Bird(Amazing Partnership) Guiding humans to Beehive
- YouTube Video: BBC Talking to Strangers: honey birds
- YouTube Video: Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor)
- YouTube Video: ratel/honey badger