Photo: Maans Booysen, Birding Weto / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green-backed Honeybird
Prodotiscus zambesiae
Green-backed Honeybird (Prodotiscus zambesiae) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Green-backed Honeybird (Prodotiscus zambesiae) is a member of the Indicatoridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 10.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Indicatoridae Honeyguides
- Genus Prodotiscus
- Species zambesiae
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Indicatoridae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Green-backed Honeybird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Green-backed Honeybird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green-backed Honeybird (Prodotiscus zambesiae) is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family, part of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF sc, e, se.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10.2 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green-backed Honeybird?
The Green-backed Honeybird is a very small bird that weighs around 10.2 g.
Where does the Green-backed Honeybird live?
The Green-backed Honeybird is found across Africa with a range covering AF sc, e, se, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Green-backed Honeybird belong to?
The Green-backed Honeybird (Prodotiscus zambesiae) belongs to the Indicatoridae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Green-backed Honeybird eat?
The Green-backed Honeybird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Green-backed Honeybird migrate?
The Green-backed Honeybird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green-backed Honeybird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Green-backed Honeybird make?
1 real field recording of the Green-backed Honeybird — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Green-backed Honeybird's range?
The Green-backed Honeybird has a mapped global range of about 4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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