Photo: Dominic Sherony / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Greater Honeyguide
Indicator indicator
Greater Honeyguide (Indicator indicator) — 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 Greater Honeyguide (Indicator indicator) is a member of the Indicatoridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 50.4 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 indicator
Quick facts
- Weight
- 50.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Indicatoridae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Greater Honeyguide is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Greater Honeyguide is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Greater Honeyguide (Indicator indicator) is a member of the Indicatoridae family, within the order Piciformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 50.4 g, with a wing length of about 10.9 cm and a tail of around 7 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 11.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Greater Honeyguide?
The Greater Honeyguide is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 50.4 g.
Where does the Greater Honeyguide live?
The Greater Honeyguide is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Greater Honeyguide belong to?
The Greater Honeyguide (Indicator indicator) belongs to the Indicatoridae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Greater Honeyguide eat?
The Greater Honeyguide is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Greater Honeyguide migrate?
The Greater Honeyguide is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Greater 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 Greater Honeyguide make?
1 real field recording of the Greater Honeyguide — 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 Greater Honeyguide's range?
The Greater Honeyguide has a mapped global range of about 11.2 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.
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