Yellow-rumped Honeyguide
Indicator xanthonotus
The Yellow-rumped Honeyguide (Indicator xanthonotus) is a rare honeyguid found in 4 countries, weighing about 30 g. The yellow-rumped honeyguide is a sparrow-sized bird in the honeyguide family that is found in Asia, mainly in montane forests along the Himalayas.
About the Yellow-rumped Honeyguide
The yellow-rumped honeyguide is a sparrow-sized bird in the honeyguide family that is found in Asia, mainly in montane forests along the Himalayas. They are very finch-like but the feet are strong and zygodactyl, with two toes facing forward and two backward. They perch on honeycombs and feed on wax. Males tend to be territorial and stay near honeycombs while females and juveniles forage widely. They are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of tree-hole breeders, possibly barbets.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The yellow-rumped honeyguide is sparrow sized and has a stout finch-like bill. The plumage is largely dusky olive and the forehead and lores are orange. There is a streaked appearance to the wing feathers. The rump is deep orange and extends into the back grading to sulphur yellow. The chin and throat are yellowish while the lower plumage is pale grey with dark streaks. The bill is yellow but dark towards the tip. Females have less extensive yellow on the face and the rump is yellow and lacks the orange. Allan Octavian Hume described the subspecies radcliffi (after Colonel E.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, October, November, December, with peak activity in April. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Yellow-rumped Honeyguide?
- The yellow-rumped honeyguide is sparrow sized and has a stout finch-like bill. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Yellow-rumped Honeyguide?
- The Yellow-rumped Honeyguide is a small sized bird weighing about 30 g.
- Where can you see a Yellow-rumped Honeyguide?
- The Yellow-rumped Honeyguide occurs in 4 countries, including India, Bhutan, China and Nepal.
- What birds look similar to a Yellow-rumped Honeyguide?
- The Yellow-rumped Honeyguide is most easily confused with the Least Honeyguide, the Willcocks's Honeyguide and the Pallid Honeyguide.
- Is the Yellow-rumped Honeyguide endangered?
- The Yellow-rumped Honeyguide is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Yellow-rumped Honeyguide for real
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