Malaysian Honeyguide

The Malaysian Honeyguide, Indicator archipelagicus, occurs naturally in the lowland broadleaved forests of western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and the island of Sumatra.

This honeyguide is rare and endangered throughout its range due to habit destruction. It is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Description

The Malaysian Honeyguide is a medium-sized, up to 18cm long, olive-brown honeyguide with greenish streaks, reddish iris, thick grey bill and greyish white below.

The male can be distinguished by the yellow patch on the shoulders, while the female has none.

Juveniles look like females, except they have streaked underparts.

Breeding / Nesting

This species nests in tree hollows.

Calls / Vocalizations

The call of the Malaysian Honeyguide sounds like a cat-like “meow”, followed by a rattling sound.

Diet / Feeding

Their main diet consists of insects, particularly bees and wasps.

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