Page 24 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 3_2024

Today's Child
NATURE

HONEYGUIDES

AND OTHER DESCRIPTIVE BIRD NAMES

B Y ANTHONY CA V ANA GH
Ever wondered how certain birds came by their names?

ome bird names are quite “Booby trap”. Honeyguides have another very notable
descriptive and immediately characteristic, which is that they are
suggest a characteristic of that And what about Honeyguides, do they brood parasites. Host species of the
species. For instance names really lead one to a succulent treat as Greater Honeyguide include Woodland,
Sindicating dietary preferences their name suggests? Well the next time Brown-hooded, Grey-hooded and Pygmy
include Bee-eaters, Flycatchers and you hear the distinctive “Victor, Victor” Kingfishers, African Hoopoe, Carmine,
Oystercatchers. Other species are named call of the Greater Honeyguide, it’s White-fronted and Little Bee-eaters,
for a specific physical characteristic and unlikely to lead you to a sweet reward Black-collared and Crested Barbets and
White-eyes with their conspicuous white in a neighbour’s garden! However the various Swallows, Martins, Starlings and
eye ring and Hornbills with their oversized Honeyguide is aptly named and well- Woodpeckers. The Honeyguide hatchling
bills are good local examples. Similarly, documented accounts exist of Greater has a unique pair of needle-sharp hooks
Rollers are named for their aerobatics Honeyguides leading travellers in African at the end of its mandible, which it uses
and often perform rolls and loops when woodlands to bees’ nests. The Greater to puncture the unhatched eggs of its
displaying. Onomatopoeic names reflect Honeyguide will chatter excitedly and if host bird thus killing the embryo. Any
the distinctive sounds and calls of various one then walks towards it, the bird will fly surviving chicks are savagely dealt with
species and include Babblers, Hoopoes and off and settle in another tree. On repeat until the Honeyguide chick is the sole
Cuckoos, and perhaps the most distinctive approaches the bird will again take off, occupant of the nest. It is fed by the host
call of all, that of the Hadeda Ibis. not necessarily straight towards the bees’ bird for up to a month and eats what the
nest, and following the bird can be quite host species would normally feed to their
The names of a few bird species have arduous. The white outer tail feathers do, chicks. It is never given wax to eat by the
found their way into general use in the however, make it easy to keep sight of host bird nor is it taught to guide but,
English language. The phrase “As dead as the bird as it flies its erratic course. Both nevertheless, it instinctively develops
a Dodo” refers to the unfortunate flightless male and female adult birds practise this these behavioural characteristics. There
Dodo bird that proliferated on the island of guiding behaviour as well as first year sub- have been records throughout history
Mauritius but became extinct by 1681. The adult birds. of Honeyguides nibbling at beeswax
Dodo stood a metre in height and weighed candles on church altars and they have
about 20kg. This species lost the ability to On arrival at a bee’s nest the behaviour of also been known to enter the sheds of
fly as food on Mauritius was plentiful and the Honeyguide changes noticeably and bee-keepers to gain access to stored
there were no natural predators on the the bird waits patiently for the honeycomb wax combs. As bees are not present on
island. It was easy prey for hungry sailors to be extracted from the nest by its human these occasions it is thought that the
and became extinct within eighty years of companion. The bird's favourite delicacy is Honeyguide can detect the wax by sense
being discovered in 1598. Mariners ancient the wax honeycomb itself, portions of which of smell, a sense very few other birds
and modern also set baited snares to catch it will nip off and swallow. All three Southern possess.
birds at sea. A light rope was looped around African Honeyguide species (Greater, Lesser
the bait and when a bird landed on the and Scaly-throated) eat wax, which is So, next time you hear the call of
ship to pick up the bait, the rope was pulled indigestible to most other animals. Indeed, the Greater Honeyguide, know that
tight around the leg. Most birds caught in Honeyguides are the only creatures in Africa you’re listening to one of Africa’s most
this manner were Boobys, hence the term capable of digesting wax. remarkable birds.

22 DPL issue 3 2024