HONEYGUIDE
BIRDS - ENVIRONMENT
News:
Honeyguide birds respond
to distinct calls of local human honey hunters
What's
in the news?
●
Honeyguide birds respond differently to
the distinct calls of groups of human honey hunters, according to new research.
Key
takeaways:
●
Humans have a huge impact on other
species.
●
Understanding how other animals cope with
their presence could provide insights about the potential for humans and other
species to coexist.
Honeyguide
bird:
●
Honeyguides (family Indicatoridae) are
near passerine birds in the order.
Key
takeaways:
●
African
honeyguide birds understand and respond to the culturally distinct signals made
by local human honey hunters, suggesting cultural
coevolution between species.
●
These successful calls have been maintained
in these groups for generations.
●
Systems in which humans successfully
cooperate with wild animals are rare.
●
One such involves the greater honeyguide,
a small African bird known to lead humans to wildbees nests.
Piciformes:
●
They are also known as indicator birds, or
honey birds.
●
These birds are best known for their interaction with humans.
●
Honeyguides are noted and named for one or
two species that will deliberately lead humans (but, contrary to popular
claims, not honey badgers) directly to bee colonies, so that they can feast on
the grubs and beeswax that are left behind.