From Opus

Alternative names: Brown-backed Honeybird, Wahlberg's Honeybird

Photo by GarethH
Location: Centurion, South Africa

Prodotiscus regulus

[edit] Identification

Length 13 cm, mass 12-18 g. A small, drab honeyguide with grey-brown upperparts and a sharp, slender bill. In flight shows white outer tail.

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa.

[edit] Taxonomy

Prodotiscus regulus has two subspecies:

• P. r. regulus is found in eastern and southern Africa; and
• P. r. camerunensis is found in West Africa.

[edit] Habitat

Savanna, woodland, thicket and forest edge.

Juvenile with Lazy Cisticola host
Photo by Alan Manson
Location: Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

[edit] Behaviour

Usually only seen when calling, either a single bird calling from high in the canopy of a tree (3- to 4-sec dzreeee), or in pairs involved in rapid display/pursuit flight, uttering a sharp, buzzing tseet.

[edit] Breeding

A brood parasite; lays eggs in the spherical nests of cisticolas and warblers (Piping Cisticola, Lazy Cisticola, Wailing Cisticola, Tinkling Cisticola, Levaillant's Cisticola, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Black-chested Prinia, Karoo Prinia). One to three eggs laid per host nest. Nestling period 17-21 days.

[edit] External Links