Green-backed Honeybird

Prodotiscus zambesiae

Woodland. Upperparts green-grey; yellow-edged flight feathers; slender bill.

Honeybirds, Honeyguides

Locally Rare

Description

Fairly common resident. Differs from [Brown-backed Honeybird] in greener upper parts with yellow-edged flight feathers. Throat is dark, finely streaked with white. May be confused with [Pallid Honeyguide], but has a much finer bill. The call is a harsh repetitive ‘skee-aa’ while in undulating display flight over trees. Found singly in broad-leaved woodland, usually in the canopy. Parasitises mostly white-eyes.

Quick Facts

Bird Family

Small, inconspicuous birds that show white outer tail-feathers in flight. Some species have distinctive calls and regular call-sites; others have weak, sibilant calls, which are seldom heard. They are mostly insectivorous, but a few species have developed the habit of leading people to wild bees' nests (as suggested by their genus name, *Indicator*) by continually chattering and fluttering conspicuously in the desired direction. When the bees' nest is broken open, the honeyguide feeds on the wax and grubs. Like cuckoos, they build no nests but parasitise various other small birds. The smaller species of the genus *Prodotiscus* are now called honeybirds.