Photo: Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Scaly-throated Honeyguide
Indicator variegatus
Scaly-throated Honeyguide (Indicator variegatus) — 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 Scaly-throated Honeyguide (Indicator variegatus) is a member of the Indicatoridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 48.8 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 variegatus
Where it lives
Ethiopia and Somalia to eastern South Africa, also west through southern DR Congo and Zambia to western Angola
Quick facts
- Weight
- 48.8 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 Scaly-throated 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 Scaly-throated Honeyguide is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Scaly-throated Honeyguide (Indicator variegatus) is a member of the Indicatoridae family, within the order Piciformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Ethiopia and Somalia to e South Africa, also w through s DR Congo and Zambia to w Angola.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 48.8 g, with a wing length of about 10.8 cm and a tail of around 6.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Scaly-throated Honeyguide?
The Scaly-throated Honeyguide is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 48.8 g.
Where does the Scaly-throated Honeyguide live?
The Scaly-throated Honeyguide is found across Africa with a range covering AF Ethiopia and Somalia to e South Africa, also w through s DR Congo and Zambia to w Angola, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Scaly-throated Honeyguide belong to?
The Scaly-throated Honeyguide (Indicator variegatus) belongs to the Indicatoridae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Scaly-throated Honeyguide eat?
The Scaly-throated Honeyguide is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Scaly-throated Honeyguide migrate?
The Scaly-throated Honeyguide is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Scaly-throated 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 Scaly-throated Honeyguide make?
1 real field recording of the Scaly-throated 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 Scaly-throated Honeyguide's range?
The Scaly-throated Honeyguide has a mapped global range of about 3.5 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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