Honeyguide Greenbul Baeopogon indicator Scientific name definitions

c. 19 cm; male 44–53 g, female 40–48 g. A stocky, medium-sized greenbul with pale eyes, mostly white outer tail feathers (flashed conspicuously in flight, possibly as intraspecific recognition signal). Male nominate race has lores, cheeks and ear-coverts uniform grey, washed olive; top of head and upperparts, including wings, greenish-­olive, slightly darker on crown and greyer on nape; central two pairs of tail feathers blackish, third pair (T3) blackish on inner web and on terminal 2 cm or so of outer web, remainder of outer web white, outer rectrices (T4-T6) white with creamy edges and dark tips, latter becoming progressively narrower outwards (down to c. 7 mm on outermost); throat grey, breast and flanks dark olive-grey, lower breast, centre of belly and undertail-coverts creamy buff; iris white, creamy or greyish-white; bill black or dark grey; legs grey or slate. Differs from B. clamans in having grey (not buffy) breast, throat concolorous with breast, white outer tail feathers tipped dark, pale eye. Female is on average smaller than male, differs also in having eyes brown to grey. Juvenile resembles adult, but duller above, belly grey-white, outer three pairs of tail feathers wholly white, dark tip of T3 much less extensive, eyes of young male dull greyish-buff. Race <em>leucurus</em> is greyer, less olive, below than nominate, belly and undertail-coverts brighter, creamy white, and (contrary to published statements) both sexes have eyes creamy white.

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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.

Berries and other fruit, including Ficus, Croton, Heisteria, Macaranga, Musanga, Rauwolfia, Trema, Xylopia. Also arthropods, including beetles (Coleoptera), caterpillars, ants (Hymenoptera), alate termites (Isoptera) and spiders (Araneae). Found singly, in pairs, or in small family groups of up to seven individuals; sometimes joins mixed-species flocks. Forages mainly in upper strata, from 10 m to canopy, occasionally lured down to 5 m by fruiting bushes, and sometimes to isolated trees and bushes some way from forest edge. Restless, active and often vocal for much of day. Seeks insects in tree canopies , leafy tangles, lianes and similar, sometimes gleaning them from leaves by hovering. Infrequently attends doryline ant swarms, then catching prey on the wing or snatching items from stems and trunks.

Distinctive; main song a clear, vigorous turdid-like whistle comprising a series of 8–10 melodious notes, the last extended and descending, “keerriup keeup kuileep turee tzeeeeew”, often abbreviated to rapid “vik-vik-viiieew” or “tiu-liuuw”. Also single mewing note, “teeueeep” or “squeeeueee”.