Green-backed Honeybird (Prodotiscus zambesiae)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Green-backed Honeybird

Prodotiscus zambesiae Shelley, 1894

10 gWeight

The green-backed honeybird (Prodotiscus zambesiae), also known as the eastern green-backed honeyguide, green-backed honeyguide and slender-billed honeyguide, is a species of bird in the family Indicatoridae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Green-backed Honeybird has been recorded at 73 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 10 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nairobi NPKenya157 records
  2. Nairobi River @ National Museums of KenyaKenya70 records
  3. Wondo GenetEthiopia61 records
More places
  1. Ngong Road Forest SanctuaryKenya55 records
  2. Karura ForestKenya53 records
  3. Mt Kenya NP – Castle Forest and LodgeKenya51 records
  4. Mukuvisi WoodlandsZimbabwe43 records
  5. Ngare Sero Mountain LodgeTanzania35 records
  6. Cleveland Dam/Haka Game ParkZimbabwe30 records
  7. East Usambara Mountains – Amani Nature ReserveTanzania26 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaTanzaniaZimbabweEthiopiaZambiaMalawiNamibiaBotswana

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The green-backed honeybird (Prodotiscus zambesiae), also known as the eastern green-backed honeyguide, green-backed honeyguide and slender-billed honeyguide, is a species of bird in the family Indicatoridae. It is a nest parasite of three white-eye species. It is an insectivore that sometimes eats the waxy shed of scaly insects.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Green-backed Honeybird?

The Green-backed Honeybird weighs around 10 g.

Where does the Green-backed Honeybird live?

Its breeding range: Africa: south-central, eastern, southeastern. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

When is the best time to see the Green-backed Honeybird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Green-backed Honeybird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Green-backed Honeybird as Least Concern.

What does the Green-backed Honeybird eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Green-backed Honeybird in?

It belongs to the family Honeyguides (Indicatoridae), order Piciformes.

At a glance

Weight
10 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
73 mm
Tail
50 mm
Bill
8 mm
Tarsus
12 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: south-central, eastern, southeastern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Honeyguides Indicatoridae
Genus
Prodotiscus

Other birds in the genus Prodotiscus

Cassin's HoneybirdCassin's HoneybirdProdotiscus insignisBrown-backed HoneybirdBrown-backed HoneybirdProdotiscus regulusZenker's HoneyguideZenker's HoneyguideMelignomon zenkeriYellow-footed HoneyguideYellow-footed HoneyguideMelignomon eisentrautiDwarf HoneyguideDwarf HoneyguideIndicator pumilioWillcocks's HoneyguideWillcocks's HoneyguideIndicator willcocksiPallid HoneyguidePallid HoneyguideIndicator meliphilusLeast HoneyguideLeast HoneyguideIndicator exilisLesser HoneyguideLesser HoneyguideIndicator minorSpotted HoneyguideSpotted HoneyguideIndicator maculatus
Green-backed Honeybird

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by GLENN STOCKIL. ↗

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