Yellow-rumped Honeyguide
Encyclopedia
The Yellow-rumped Honeyguide (Indicator xanthonotus) 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 the feet are 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.
described the subspecies radcliffi (after Colonel E. Delmé-Radcliffe) based on specimens from Hazara but no specimens or information from the region have subsequently been obtained putting it in some doubt. The species was described by Blyth based on specimens from near Darjeeling. Ripley described specimens from the Naga Hills as subspecies fulvus (not always recognized), said to be smaller and darker, with the streaking on the abdomen reduced and the yellow on the forehead restricted to the anterior. This population may be identical to the nominate of the eastern Himalayas. They have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. The wing is long and pointed.
that attach the comb to rocks. They feed on active bee-hives without disturbing the bees much. They have been observed to make use of the attacks of Vespa mandarinia on Apis dorsata laboriosa
colonies.
A display of a male involved fluffing its feathers, holding the bill high and flicking wings while swaying from side to side. A female was observed flicking its tail and pressing it down with wings drooped before being mounted by a male. They are brood parasite
s, laying their eggs in the nest of host species. The host species for the Yellow-rumped Honeyguide are as yet unknown and undocumented. Young birds of honeyguide species have bill-hooks with which they destroy the eggs and chicks of the host. The male hold territories around hives and are polygynous, allowing females with which it mateds and their young into the territories. This mating system
has been termed as "resource-based non-harem polygyny".
Unlike other honeyguides, this species has not been observed to lead humans and bears to bee hives.
Honeyguide
Honeyguides are near passerine bird species of the order Piciformes. They are also known as indicator birds, or honey birds, although the latter term is also used more narrowly to refer to species of the genus Prodotiscus. They have an Old World tropical distribution, with the greatest number of...
family that is found in Asia, mainly in montane forests along the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. They are very finch-like but the feet are strong and the feet are 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.
Description
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 while the upper plumage. 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 HumeAllan Octavian Hume
Allan Octavian Hume was a civil servant, political reformer and amateur ornithologist in British India. He was one of the founders of the Indian National Congress, a political party that was later to lead the Indian independence movement...
described the subspecies radcliffi (after Colonel E. Delmé-Radcliffe) based on specimens from Hazara but no specimens or information from the region have subsequently been obtained putting it in some doubt. The species was described by Blyth based on specimens from near Darjeeling. Ripley described specimens from the Naga Hills as subspecies fulvus (not always recognized), said to be smaller and darker, with the streaking on the abdomen reduced and the yellow on the forehead restricted to the anterior. This population may be identical to the nominate of the eastern Himalayas. They have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. The wing is long and pointed.
Behaviour and ecology
A chipping call is produced in flight and when agitated. The flight is straight (may sometimes be undulating) and direct, sometimes in flocks of 20 to 30 birds. At deserted honey-combs, the bird clings tight and presses its tail on the surface of the comb. They feed mainly on the foundation wax of Apis dorsata laboriosaApis dorsata laboriosa
Apis dorsata laboriosa, the Himalayan honey bee, is the world’s largest honey bee; single adults can measure up to in length. Before 1980, Apis dorsata laboriosa was considered to be a subspecies of the widespread Apis dorsata, the giant honey bee, but in 1980 and for almost 20 years thereafter...
that attach the comb to rocks. They feed on active bee-hives without disturbing the bees much. They have been observed to make use of the attacks of Vespa mandarinia on Apis dorsata laboriosa
Apis dorsata laboriosa
Apis dorsata laboriosa, the Himalayan honey bee, is the world’s largest honey bee; single adults can measure up to in length. Before 1980, Apis dorsata laboriosa was considered to be a subspecies of the widespread Apis dorsata, the giant honey bee, but in 1980 and for almost 20 years thereafter...
colonies.
A display of a male involved fluffing its feathers, holding the bill high and flicking wings while swaying from side to side. A female was observed flicking its tail and pressing it down with wings drooped before being mounted by a male. They are brood parasite
Brood parasite
Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same or different species to raise the young of the brood-parasite...
s, laying their eggs in the nest of host species. The host species for the Yellow-rumped Honeyguide are as yet unknown and undocumented. Young birds of honeyguide species have bill-hooks with which they destroy the eggs and chicks of the host. The male hold territories around hives and are polygynous, allowing females with which it mateds and their young into the territories. This mating system
Mating system
A mating system is a way in which a group is structured in relation to sexual behaviour. The precise meaning depends upon the context. With respect to higher animals, it specifies which males mate with which females, under which circumstances; recognised animal mating systems include monogamy,...
has been termed as "resource-based non-harem polygyny".
Unlike other honeyguides, this species has not been observed to lead humans and bears to bee hives.