Willcocks's Honeyguide Indicator willcocksi Scientific name definitions

12–13 cm; male 11–20·5 g, female 12–17·7 g (1 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Small, streaky, green honeyguide with stubby bill , lacking distinctive features. Both sexes of nominate race have typical honeyguide tail pattern, with distinct dark tips on white outer feathers; below, shades of olive-grey with some flank streaks, and whiter belly to undertail-coverts, E birds tending towards greyer breast. Differs from I. exilis in lack of dark malar and white loral mark, and less heavy flank streaks. Juvenile more yellow-green, less olive, above, darker (greyer or greener) (1 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) on breast, tail feathers more pointed, outer tail whiter (reduced dark tips) (1 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); legs pale (green to slate-coloured in adults) (2 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Race hutsoni longer-winged (male 75–83 mm, versus 73–79 mm in male of nominate) (1 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), paler, less green, greyer, breast in particular greyer; ansorgei also longer-winged (one male 80 mm) (1 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), crown greyer than back and less streaky, greyer below than hutsoni, sometimes trace of white loral mark.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Inhabits semi-evergreen and largely deciduous (3 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 and tall secondary forest , riverine forest, adjacent tree plantations, mosaic of forest, shrubs and grassland, and larger patches of forest where clearing occurs; race hutsoni found in woodland; race willcocksi ranges into transition zone and even the Sudanian zone (in riparian growth) from the Guineo-Congolian zone (4 Dowsett, R. J., and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2011). The avifauna of Benin: additions and corrections. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 18(2):148–167. Close ). Shuns heavily logged areas (5 Sekercioglu, C. H. (2002). Effects of forestry practices on vegetation structure and bird community of Kibale National Park, Uganda. Biological Conservation 107(2):229–240. Close ). Mainly occurs in lowlands below 1000 m, up to 1500 m in E Zaire; recorded at 1000–1800 m in W Uganda.

Sedentary, so far as known.

Insects, including flying ants, termites, and larvae of Lepidoptera; also beeswax, possibly also waxy exudates of certain insects and potentially even cuticular waxes from trees (6 Fishpool, L., Bennun, L., Oyugi, J. and Weeks, P. (1997). Distinctive foraging behaviour by Willcocks’ and Least Honeyguides Indicator willcocksi and I. exilis. Scopus 19: 110-112. Close ). Hawks insects; feeds in foliage and on branches, usually in canopy. Sometimes loosely associates with mixed-species flocks (7 Aversa, T. (2007). Bird observations from Dabola Prefecture, Guinea. Bull. African Bird Club. 14(1): 45–54. Close ).

Song  a variable series of three-note phrases, “pa-will-it”, “pe-weel-it” (1 Short, L. L., and J. F. M. Horne (2001) Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) or “p-wEEw-Pk p-wEEw-Pk p-wEEw-Pk...” (2 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), last note with distinct snap as of bill-snap (also rendered “tic”) (8 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (1998). Further additions to and deletions from the avifauna of Congo-Brazzaville. Malimbus 20(1):15–32. Close ), closely resembles that of I. meliphilus, lacks characteristic initial note of I. exilis, I. conirostris and I. minor songs. May sing from 2–3 hours post-dawn to midday or early afternoon, sometimes again in late afternoon, and songposts may be utilized for years (3 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 ); songposts belonging to neighbouring males are generally 1–3 km apart (3 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 ). In C Africa appears to favour flat crowns of Piptadeniastrum africanum trees as songposts (8 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (1998). Further additions to and deletions from the avifauna of Congo-Brazzaville. Malimbus 20(1):15–32. Close ), but also uses trees such as Anogeissus, Parkia biglobosa, Bombax costatum (4 Dowsett, R. J., and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2011). The avifauna of Benin: additions and corrections. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 18(2):148–167. Close ), Ceiba pentandra (also especially favoured), Albizia sp. and Khaya senegalensis (3 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 ).

Apr–Sept in most areas; probably also Jan–Feb in Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, possibly Oct in Uganda; in parts of W Africa mainly sings in long dry season (late Nov–Mar) and beyond (3 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 apparently sings from small “territory”, attracting females. Eggs and hosts unknown; Gymnobucco barbets speculated to be hosts in W Africa (9 Lachenaud, O. (2006). Les oiseaux du Parc National du Banco et de la Forêt Classée de l’Anguédédou, Côte d’Ivoire. Malimbus 28(2):107–133. Close ) and Speckled Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus scolopaceus) is another possible host, and one around nest in Uganda repeatedly attacked by this honeyguide for > 1 hour.

Not globally threatened. Species only recently discovered in Guinea (10 Demey, R. and Rainey, H.J. (2004). The birds of Pic de Fon Forest Reserve, Guinea: a preliminary survey. Bull. Afr. Bird Club. 11(2): 126–138. Close ) and Benin (4 Dowsett, R. J., and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2011). The avifauna of Benin: additions and corrections. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 18(2):148–167. Close ). Not uncommon in Sierra Leone, where appears to be much commoner than I. exilis; uncommon in Liberia; precise distribution and generally regarded as rare to uncommon in W Africa (2 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), although locally it is fairly common (3 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 Pic de Fon Forest Reserve (Guinea) (10 Demey, R. and Rainey, H.J. (2004). The birds of Pic de Fon Forest Reserve, Guinea: a preliminary survey. Bull. Afr. Bird Club. 11(2): 126–138. Close ), Anguédédou Forest Reserve (Ivory Coast) (9 Lachenaud, O. (2006). Les oiseaux du Parc National du Banco et de la Forêt Classée de l’Anguédédou, Côte d’Ivoire. Malimbus 28(2):107–133. Close ), Mole National Park and Gbele Reserve (Ghana) (3 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 ), Korup National Park (Cameroon), Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park (Congo) (8 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (1998). Further additions to and deletions from the avifauna of Congo-Brazzaville. Malimbus 20(1):15–32. Close ) and Kibale (5 Sekercioglu, C. H. (2002). Effects of forestry practices on vegetation structure and bird community of Kibale National Park, Uganda. Biological Conservation 107(2):229–240. Close ) and Impenetrable Forest ­National Parks (Uganda). Has recently been seen close to the proposed Ogooué-Leketi National Park (S Congo) (11 Demey, R. (2013). Recent Reports: Congo-Brazzaville. Bull. African Bird Club. 20(1): 96-97. Close ). May possibly be under threat W of Liberia, in Guinea-Bissau, but species is too poorly known to establish this. As with many honeyguides, biology very little understood owing to lack of observations.