Honeyguides

Honeyguides are a family of birds distributed across the Old World tropics, predominantly in Africa, with a few species in Asia. These birds, often with dull or yellow plumage and white outer tail feathers, range in size from the small green-backed honeyguide at 10.2 g to the large lyre-tailed honeyguide at 54.2 g. Notable for their unique diet, honeyguides consume beeswax, wax secretions of insects, waxworms, various insects, spiders, and occasionally fruit. Their most fascinating behavior is exhibited by species such as the greater honeyguide which leads humans to bee colonies so they can harvest honey while the bird feeds on the leftover grubs and wax. This interaction may significantly increase the honey-hunting success rate, as observed with the Hadza people of Tanzania. Far from the myths, there is no evidence that honeyguides lead honey badgers to bees. While many honeyguides are solitary wax foragers, they share the common name due to linguistic reasons. Known for their parasitic breeding habits, these birds lay their eggs in the nests of other species, leading to their chicks outcompeting their hosts' offspring. Overall, the Indicatoridae family encompasses seventeen species across four genera, characterized by varied body sizes, a specialized diet, and a unique relationship with humans and other bird species for breeding success.