Photo: Alan Manson / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-backed Honeybird
Prodotiscus regulus
Brown-backed Honeybird (Prodotiscus regulus) — 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 Brown-backed Honeybird (Prodotiscus regulus) is a member of the Indicatoridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 14.1 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 regulus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Indicatoridae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown-backed Honeybird 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 Brown-backed Honeybird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-backed Honeybird (Prodotiscus regulus) belongs to the Indicatoridae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.1 g, with a wing length of about 7.7 cm and a tail of around 5.1 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 3.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-backed Honeybird?
The Brown-backed Honeybird is a very small bird that weighs around 14.1 g.
Where does the Brown-backed Honeybird live?
The Brown-backed Honeybird is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Brown-backed Honeybird belong to?
The Brown-backed Honeybird (Prodotiscus regulus) belongs to the Indicatoridae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Brown-backed Honeybird eat?
The Brown-backed Honeybird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown-backed Honeybird migrate?
The Brown-backed Honeybird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-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 Brown-backed Honeybird make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-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 Brown-backed Honeybird's range?
The Brown-backed Honeybird has a mapped global range of about 3.2 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.
Explore more birds
More in Indicatoridae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern