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Difference between revisions of "Lesser Honeyguide" - BirdForum Opus

(lump Thick-billed Honeyguide into this one)
 
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[[Image:Lesser HoneyguideMax.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo © by {{user|Max1|Max1}}<br />West Coast National Park, [[South Africa]] Nov ember 2019 ]]
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'''Includes: Thick-billed Honeyguide'''
 
;[[:Category:Indicator|Indicator]] minor
 
;[[:Category:Indicator|Indicator]] minor
[[Image:Lesser HoneyguideMax.jpg|thumb|550px|right|<br />Photo © by {{user|Max1|Max1}}<br />West Coast National Park, [[South Africa]] Nov., 2019 ]] ]]
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==Identification==
 
==Identification==
An unobtrusive drab olive-brown bird with a short stubby bill & white outer tail feathers that are prominent in flight.
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14–16 cm (5½-6¼ in)
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*Greyish-green upperparts
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*White [[Topography#Heads|loral]] spot
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*White outer tail feathers visible in flight
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
 
Sub-Saharan [[Africa]]  except for coastal West Africa, Congo Basin and desert areas in the Horn of Africa and southern Africa.
 
Sub-Saharan [[Africa]]  except for coastal West Africa, Congo Basin and desert areas in the Horn of Africa and southern Africa.
  
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
''Indicator minor'' has 6 subspecies:
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[[Image:2007_09_22_Lesser_Honeyguide.jpg|thumb|350px|right|''I. m. teitensis''<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Alan+Manson|Alan Manson}}<br />[[Kruger National Park]], [[South Africa]], 22 September 2007]]
*''I. m. minor'' [[South Africa]], south-eastern [[Botswana]], [[Swaziland]];
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====Subspecies====
*''I. m. senegalensis'' [[Senegal]], [[Chad]], [[Cameroon]], [[Sudan]];
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''Indicator minor'' has 8 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
*''I. m. riggenbachi'' [[Cameroon]], [[Sudan]], [[Uganda]];
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*''I. m. ussheri'': Disjunct from southeast [[Sierra Leone]] to southern [[Ghana]]
*''I. m. diadematus'' [[Sudan]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Somalia]];
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*''I. m. conirostris'': southern [[Nigeria]] to [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], western [[Kenya]], and northern [[Angola]]
*''I. m. damarensis'' [[Angola]], [[Namibia]]
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*''I. m. teitensis'' southeastern [[South Sudan]], southeastern [[Ethiopia]], and southern [[Somalia]] south and southwest to [[Angola]], northeastern [[Namibia]], [[Zimbabwe]], and central [[Mozambique]]
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*''I. m. senegalensis'': from [[Senegal]] and [[Gambia]], to [[Chad]], northern [[Cameroon]], and western [[Sudan]];
[[Image:2007_09_22_Lesser_Honeyguide.jpg|thumb|350px|right|''I. m. teitensis''<br>Photo by Alan Manson<br>[[Kruger National Park]], [[South Africa]] ]]
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*''I. m. riggenbachi'': Central [[Cameroon]] to southwestern [[Sudan]], western [[Uganda]] and [[Burundi]];
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*''I. m. diadematus'': Central [[Sudan]] to [[Ethiopia]] and [[Somalia]];
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*''I. m. damarensis'': Southern [[Angola]] and northern [[Namibia]];
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*''I. m. teitensis'': southeastern [[South Sudan]], southeastern [[Ethiopia]], and southern [[Somalia]] south and southwest to [[Angola]], northeastern [[Namibia]], [[Zimbabwe]], and central [[Mozambique]];
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*''I. m. minor'': Southern [[Namibia]] and south-eastern [[Botswana]] to [[South Africa]], [[eSwatini]] and southern [[Mozambique]];
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The first two subspecies were formerly considered a separate species, Thick-billed Honeyguide, ''Indicator conirostris''.
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
 
Woodland, savanna, forest edges, riverine forest, plantations, parks and wooded gardens; seldom strays far from cover.
 
Woodland, savanna, forest edges, riverine forest, plantations, parks and wooded gardens; seldom strays far from cover.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
This bird does not guide to bees nests but tends to catch insects in flycatcher fashion. Like the other Honeyguides it is a brood parasite of other hole & cavity nesters such as Barbets & Bee-eaters. Honeyguide chicks hatch with a pronounced hook to the bill-tip which they use to wound & kill the young of the host species.
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This bird does not guide to bees nests but are frequently found around bee hives and nests. Are also able to catch insects in flycatcher fashion.
 
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====Diet====
'''Voice'''. Characteristic " ''hip, hip, hip''" repeated up to 40 times.
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Their main diet consists of beeswax, with the addition of some bees, including sweatbees.
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====Breeding====
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Like the other Honeyguides it is a brood parasite of other hole and cavity nesters such as barbets and bee-eaters. Honeyguide chicks hatch with a pronounced hook to the bill-tip which they use to wound & kill the young of the host species.
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====Vocalisation====
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Characteristic ''hip, hip, hip''" repeated up to 40 times. The two subspecies formerly considered the Thick-billed Honeyguide were described as having a deeper voice than other subspecies, more "''twip  twip  twip''".
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
Lepage D. 2007. [http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/ Avibase.] Search for ''Indicator minor'' downloaded 2 October 2007.
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#{{Ref-Clements6thOct22}}#{{Ref-GillDonskerRasmussen22V13.1}}#Avibase
 
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#Short, L.L., J. F. M. Horne, G. M. Kirwan, N. Moura, and P. F. D. Boesman (2022). Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (B. K. Keeney and S. M. Billerman, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.y00400.01
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{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
{{GSearch|Indicator+minor}}
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{{GSearch|"Indicator minor" {{!}} "Indicator conirostris" {{!}} "Lesser Honeyguide" {{!}} "Thick-billed Honeyguide", -Greater, -"Lybius vieilloti"}}
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{{GS-checked}}1<br /><br />
 
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Indicator]]
 
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Indicator]]

Latest revision as of 20:19, 22 April 2023

Photo © by Max1
West Coast National Park, South Africa Nov ember 2019

Includes: Thick-billed Honeyguide

Indicator minor

Identification

14–16 cm (5½-6¼ in)

  • Greyish-green upperparts
  • White loral spot
  • White outer tail feathers visible in flight

Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa except for coastal West Africa, Congo Basin and desert areas in the Horn of Africa and southern Africa.

Taxonomy

I. m. teitensis
Photo © by Alan Manson
Kruger National Park, South Africa, 22 September 2007

Subspecies

Indicator minor has 8 subspecies[1]:

The first two subspecies were formerly considered a separate species, Thick-billed Honeyguide, Indicator conirostris.

Habitat

Woodland, savanna, forest edges, riverine forest, plantations, parks and wooded gardens; seldom strays far from cover.

Behaviour

This bird does not guide to bees nests but are frequently found around bee hives and nests. Are also able to catch insects in flycatcher fashion.

Diet

Their main diet consists of beeswax, with the addition of some bees, including sweatbees.

Breeding

Like the other Honeyguides it is a brood parasite of other hole and cavity nesters such as barbets and bee-eaters. Honeyguide chicks hatch with a pronounced hook to the bill-tip which they use to wound & kill the young of the host species.

Vocalisation

Characteristic hip, hip, hip" repeated up to 40 times. The two subspecies formerly considered the Thick-billed Honeyguide were described as having a deeper voice than other subspecies, more "twip twip twip".

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.1)_red. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.1. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
  3. Avibase
  4. Short, L.L., J. F. M. Horne, G. M. Kirwan, N. Moura, and P. F. D. Boesman (2022). Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (B. K. Keeney and S. M. Billerman, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.y00400.01

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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