© GW - monacoeye • Marakissa, Gambia, Feb 2013 - All rights reserved

Bird name: Lesser Honeyguide
Latin: Indicator minor
Other: Indicateur tacheté (Fr), Fläckhonungsgök (Sv)
Family: Indicatoridae - Honeyguides
Range: C and W Africa incl Gambia
Similar:

This Lesser Honeyguide is also quite a difficult bird to see in the Gambia. This one came to drink at the water pots at Marakissa River Lodge on the afternoon that I was there. Another seen upriver near Georgetown.

Below, Lesser Honeyguide Georgetown, Gambia, Mar 2013

© GW - monacoeye • Marakissa, Gambia - All rights reserved

Bird name: Spotted Honeyguide
Latin: Indicator maculatus
Other: Indicateur tacheté (Fr), Fläckhonungsgök (Sv)
Family: Indicatoridae - Honeyguides
Range: C and W Africa incl Gambia
Similar:

This Spotted Honeyguide also visited the water pots at Marakissa River Lodge on the afternoon that I was there. Definitely one of the best places in the Gambia to see this bird. Marakissa is in the south, just across the border from Senegal.

Below, Greater Honeyguide drinking at Marakissa River Lodge, Gambia, Feb 2013
More photos...

© GW - monacoeye • Marakissa, Gambia - All rights reserved

Bird name: Greater Honeyguide
Latin: Indicator indicator
Other: Grand Indicateur (Fr), indicador grande (Es), grote honingspeurder (Nl), Indicatore golanera (It)
Family: Indicatoridae - Honeyguides
Range: Africa, incl Gambia
Similar:

First photos from the honeyguide family on the site!

The honeyguides are so named because they can lead men (and supposedly honey badgers) to hives. In fact they are still used today by some tribes in east Africa.

These were seen at the excellent Marakissa River Lodge, whose water pots attracted all three local honeyguides while I was there.

The Greater Honeyguide is also a brood parasite (like the cuckoo) of other birds’ nests, including that of the Green Wood-hoopoe.

Below, Greater Honeyguide drinking at Marakissa River Lodge, Gambia, Feb 2013
More photos...

105 Indicatoridae - Honeyguides - IOC 2.5 2010

Honeyguides (Indicatoridae) and woodpeckers (Picidae) are sister families

Prodotiscus insignis - Cassin's Honeybird - C, W Africa
Prodotiscus zambesiae - Green-backed Honeybird - SC, E, SE Africa
Prodotiscus regulus - Brown-backed Honeybird - Widespread Africa

Melignomon zenkeri - Zenker's Honeyguide - C, WC Africa
Melignomon eisentrauti - Yellow-footed Honeyguide - W Africa

Indicator pumilio - Dwarf Honeyguide - C Africa
Indicator willcocksi - Willcocks's Honeyguide - C, W Africa
Indicator meliphilus - Pallid Honeyguide - E, SC, SE Africa
Indicator exilis - Least Honeyguide - C, W Africa
Indicator conirostris - Thick-billed Honeyguide - C, W Africa
Indicator minor - Lesser Honeyguide - Widespread Africa
Indicator maculatus - Spotted Honeyguide - C, W Africa
Indicator variegatus - Scaly-throated Honeyguide - E, SE, SC Africa
Indicator xanthonotus - Yellow-rumped Honeyguide - NW India to N Burma
Indicator archipelagicus - Malaysian Honeyguide - Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo
Indicator indicator - Greater Honeyguide - Widespread Africa

Melichneutes robustus - Lyre-tailed Honeyguide - C, W Africa