Hold the honey, we want the wax
IN A photo gallery of African or Asian birds, honeyguides are easily overlooked. All 17 species have dull grey and olive plumage. They range from 4-7in (10-18cm) in length and are all of similar shape apart from the lyre-tailed honeyguide (Melichneutes robustus). The male of this species has outward-curling tail feathers, with the female similar but with a smaller tail. Apart from the five species of small, thinner-beaked honeyguides Prodotiscus and Melignomon, species have a beak similar to that a frugivorous bird. Surprisingly, honeyguides belong to the order Piciformes along with the woodpeckers and barbets. Their zygodactyl (two toes forward, two to the rear) toe arrangement appears to be the only superficial feature they share.
Most species are found in Africa, where the family originated, with two others in Asia. Plain though their appearance might
