Honeyguide
Family of near passerine birds
Why this is trending
Interest in “Honeyguide” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-07-21.
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Key Takeaways
- Honeyguides (family Indicatoridae ) are a family of 16 species of birds in the order Piciformes.
- They have an Old World tropical distribution, with the greatest number of species in Africa and two in Asia.
- Honeyguides are noted and named from one or two species that will deliberately lead humans directly to bee colonies, so that they can feast on the grubs and beeswax that are left behind.
- Taxonomy The Indicatoridae were noted for their barbet-like structure and brood-parasitic behaviour and morphologically considered unique among the non-passerines in having nine primaries.
- The number of species in each family is taken from the list maintained by Frank Gill, Pamela C.
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Source summary
WikipediaHoneyguides (family Indicatoridae) are a family of 16 species of birds in 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 from one or two species that will deliberately lead humans directly to bee colonies, so that they can feast on the grubs and beeswax that are left behind. Interaction between honeyguides and honey badgers has also been reported.
The Indicatoridae were noted for their barbet-like structure and brood-parasitic behaviour and morphologically considered unique among the non-passerines in having nine primaries. The phylogenetic relationship between the honeyguides and the eight other families that make up the order Piciformes is shown in the cladogram below. The number of species in each family is taken from the list maintained by Frank Gill, Pamela C. Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of the International Ornithological Committee (IOC).
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