Chada

Honeyguides

08 March 2010


By Maripet Koipa, Guide - Chada Katavi

Honeyguide birds are known to guide humans, honey badgers and other species to wild beehives. The bird will move from tree to tree with deliberately slow movements, calling frequently. Once it's reached the hive, it will often wait until the animal has taken the honey and then it moves on.

Honeyguides have got very good hearing and vision which helps them to find the hives. One day when out on a walking safari, I was led right to a large beehive by a honeyguide. The females will leave their eggs in the nest of other birds like a barbet, woodpecker or a bee-eater.

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