Topic description and stories

Honey badger eating honeycomb

Birds and honey badgers could be cooperating to steal from bees in parts of Africa

29 Jun 2023

The tale of two charismatic species cooperating for mutual benefit has captivated naturalists for centuries – but evidence has been patchy...

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Yao honey-hunter Orlando Yassene holds a male greater honeyguide temporarily captured for research in the Niassa National Reserve, Mozambique.

How humans and wild birds collaborate to get precious resources of honey and wax

22 Jul 2016

By following honeyguides, a species of bird, people in Africa are able to locate bees’ nests to harvest honey. Research now reveals that humans use...

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Honeyguide birds destroy own species’ eggs to eliminate competition

21 Aug 2013

Scientists believe behaviour drives evolution of egg size similar to hosts.

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African greater honeyguide

Natural born killers

07 Sep 2011

Newly hatched chicks of African honeyguide birds bite to death their foster siblings to eliminate competition.

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