Photo: Lois Hild Photography / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pallid Honeyguide
Indicator meliphilus
Pallid Honeyguide (Indicator meliphilus) — 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 Pallid Honeyguide (Indicator meliphilus) is a member of the Indicatoridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 14 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 meliphilus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Indicatoridae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pallid 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 Pallid Honeyguide is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pallid Honeyguide (Indicator meliphilus) belongs to the Indicatoridae family of the order Piciformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF e, sc, se.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 4.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.5 million km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pallid Honeyguide?
The Pallid Honeyguide is a very small bird that weighs around 14 g.
Where does the Pallid Honeyguide live?
The Pallid Honeyguide is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, sc, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Pallid Honeyguide belong to?
The Pallid Honeyguide (Indicator meliphilus) belongs to the Indicatoridae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Pallid Honeyguide eat?
The Pallid Honeyguide is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pallid Honeyguide migrate?
The Pallid Honeyguide is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pallid 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.
How large is the Pallid Honeyguide's range?
The Pallid Honeyguide has a mapped global range of about 1.5 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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