Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Lesser Honeyguide
Indicator minor
Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor) is a member of the Indicatoridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 28.2 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 Indicator
- Species minor
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Indicatoridae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Lesser Honeyguide is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Lesser Honeyguide is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor) is a member of the Indicatoridae family, within the order Piciformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28.2 g, with a wing length of about 9 cm and a tail of around 5.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 13.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Lesser Honeyguide?
The Lesser Honeyguide is a small bird that weighs around 28.2 g.
Where does the Lesser Honeyguide live?
The Lesser Honeyguide is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Lesser Honeyguide belong to?
The Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor) belongs to the Indicatoridae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Lesser Honeyguide eat?
The Lesser Honeyguide is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Lesser Honeyguide migrate?
The Lesser Honeyguide is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Lesser Honeyguide 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 Lesser Honeyguide make?
1 real field recording of the Lesser Honeyguide — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Lesser Honeyguide's range?
The Lesser Honeyguide has a mapped global range of about 13.1 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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