Lyre-tailed Honeyguide Melichneutes robustus Scientific name definitions

c. 16·5–18 cm (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); male 51·1–61·5 g, female 46·9–57 g (2 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Dull colours with unique lyre-shaped tail diagnostic. Male with outward-curling tail feathers, elongated central undertail-coverts nearly as long as longest rectrices, outermost tail fea­thers tiny, narrow and white, central feathers broad and blackish. Dark olive-brown head and upperparts; underparts olivaceous grading to creamy white on belly and undertail-coverts, with variable blackish flanks streaking. Distinguished from somewhat similar female I. indicator by slightly larger size, bronzy tinge above, distinctive tail. Female has shorter and browner tail, but shape still distinctive. Immature entirely sooty blackish brown with olive wash (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), also with “bent” (but even shorter) tail feathers.

Sierra Leone and Guinea (3 Dowsett, R. J., F. Dowsett-Lemaire, and A. Hester (2008). The avifauna of Ghana: additions and corrections. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(2):191–200. Close ) E to S Cameroon, SE Central African Republic, N DRCongo and SW Uganda, S to N Angola and C & E DRCongo.

Evergreen and semi-evergreen (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2008). On the singing habits of forest honeyguides of the Guineo-Congolian region, with a request for further information. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(1): 24–35. Close ) primary forest and adjacent edges, logged forest, gallery (5 Demey, R. and Rainey, H.J. (2004). The birds of Pic de Fon Forest Reserve, Guinea: a preliminary survey. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 11(2):126–138. Close ) and secondary forests, and plantations provided there are still some tall trees (2 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), with a predilection for watercourses and areas abutting swamps (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2008). On the singing habits of forest honeyguides of the Guineo-Congolian region, with a request for further information. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(1): 24–35. Close ); attracted to bees’ nests; frequents colonies of barbets of genus Gymnobucco. Usually in canopy, but occasionally comes much lower (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). In lowlands, uncommonly to 2000 m.

Eats beeswax; also takes termites, other insects, spiders, and fig (Ficus) fruits. Foraging habits largely unknown, but is usually observed alone except sometimes at hives (2 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

In aerial display 10–30 loud, nasal “pee-pee” or “prrr prrr” (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) sounds at 4–5 per second, initially accelerating and rising in pitch, then fading as grades into “ve-bek, ve-vek” or “kwa-ba, kwa-ba” sounds at c. 2 per second, apparently made by quickly opening and closing the wing and tail feathers (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2008). On the singing habits of forest honeyguides of the Guineo-Congolian region, with a request for further information. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(1): 24–35. Close ); audible for 1 km, but extremely difficult to locate (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); also has buzzy, chattery calls and “kutta-kutta” notes.

Season mainly inferred from aerial displays, but may display when not breeding; Oct–Dec in Sierra Leone, Nov–Apr in Liberia, Dec–Jun in most of W Africa, Sept–Nov in Nigeria and Cameroon; Dec–Mar, and more late Apr–Sept (dry season) in Gabon and Angola (6 Dean, W. R. J. (2000). The Birds of Angola: An Annotated Check-list. British Ornithologists’ Union Check-list 18. British Ornithologists’ Union, Tring, UK. Close ); Mar–Sept in Congo and Zaire. In parts of C Africa display occurs virtually throughout year, with short breaks of up to six weeks, but elsewhere seems more focused on main dry season and start of rains (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2008). On the singing habits of forest honeyguides of the Guineo-Congolian region, with a request for further information. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(1): 24–35. Close ). Male displays by circling upwards 100–200 m (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2008). On the singing habits of forest honeyguides of the Guineo-Congolian region, with a request for further information. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(1): 24–35. Close ) and diving down (either zigzagging or in spirals) (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) with wing sounds (see Voice); female also reported to display aerially (1 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Can display 10–15 times in morning period, with 6–15-minute intervals between each flight (2 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); usually displays between early and late morning, but unusually cool weather may influence birds to commence displaying later and continue into afternoon (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2008). On the singing habits of forest honeyguides of the Guineo-Congolian region, with a request for further information. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(1): 24–35. Close ). Occasional groups of displaying birds have been recorded (e.g. in Liberia and Sierra Leone), which it has been postulated constitutes evidence of a lekking system, but if correct details remain to be elucidated (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2008). On the singing habits of forest honeyguides of the Guineo-Congolian region, with a request for further information. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(1): 24–35. Close ). Hosts unknown, suspected are barbets of genus Gymnobucco and perhaps Pogoniulus. No information on eggs, or on other aspects of breeding.

Not globally threatened. Little known, and only occasionally common in and near primary forest. Distribution known partly from display sounds alone; relatively few specimens. Occurrence in Ghana considered unconfirmed (7 Dowsett, R. J., F. Dowsett-Lemaire, and A. Hester (2008). The avifauna of Ghana: additions and corrections. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(2):191–200. Close ). Locally not uncommon in Sierra Leone, where 12 display-sites/km²; uncommon to not uncommon in Liberia, where 1 male/3–4 km²; display-sites c. 1 km apart in Gabon forest (one site 1300 × 400 m). Locally common generally within C African range (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2008). On the singing habits of forest honeyguides of the Guineo-Congolian region, with a request for further information. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(1): 24–35. Close ). Known to occur in Ziama (8 Halleux, D. (1994). Annotated bird list of Macenta Prefecture, Guinea. Malimbus 16(1):10–29. Close ) and Pic de Fon (5 Demey, R. and Rainey, H.J. (2004). The birds of Pic de Fon Forest Reserve, Guinea: a preliminary survey. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 11(2):126–138. Close ) Forest Reserves (Guinea), Taï Forest National Park, Ivory Coast, in Gola Forest Reserve, Sierra Leone, Cross River National Park, Nigeria (9 Demey, R., F. Dowsett-Lemaire, and R. J. Dowsett (2003). Notable bird observations from Nigeria, including the first records of Spot-breasted Ibis Bostrychia rara and Yellow Longbill Macroshenus flavicans. Malimbus 25(2):85–94. Close ), Odzala National Park, Congo (4 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (2008). On the singing habits of forest honeyguides of the Guineo-Congolian region, with a request for further information. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(1): 24–35. Close ), and in La Lopé National Park, Gabon. Probably rather vulnerable in places; information required on species’ breeding biology and ecology.