Zenker's Honeyguide
Melignomon zenkeri
An infrequently encountered honeyguide of forests and forest edge. Overall olive-green to green in coloration, with upperparts darker than underparts and the brightest green in the wings. Vent is pale with hints of streaking, and tail has white outer feathers with dark tips. Similar to Cassin’s Honeyguide, but note Zenker’s larger bill, larger size, darker throat, and dark-tipped tail. Overlaps locally with Yellow-footed Honeyguide in Cameroon, but Zenker’s Honeyguide has duskier legs and a darker throat, and where the two overlap, Zenker’s is often found at lower elevations. Vocalizations are little known, but the song apparently consists of repeated typical honeyguide “tjee” notes that slowly rise in pitch before peaking and gradually descending in pitch, given at a rate of 1-2 notes per second for up to 20 seconds.
Identification
Zenker's honeyguide (Melignomon zenkeri) is a species of bird in the family Indicatoridae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Uganda. The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the German botanist Georg Zenker.
Taxonomy
Genus: Melignomon; Family: Indicatoridae; Order: Piciformes.
- Scientific name
- Melignomon zenkeri
- Authority
- Reichenow, 1898
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Indicatoridae
- Genus
- Melignomon
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Buff-breasted Babbler
Pellorneum tickelli
Rather graceful-looking brown babbler with a long tail and long legs. Averages paler below than above, but generally unmarked. Inhabits foothill forests with dense undergrowth, where it forages close to or on the ground. Almost completely unmarked appearance distinguishes it from most other babblers in range. Listen for its loud, strident song, a repetitive “wit-wee, wit-wee, wit-wee.” Calls include rattling trills, a harsh descending laugh, and sharp single notes.
Cipo Canastero
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Distinctive ovenbird with a long, graduated tail that is often held cocked. Mostly gray with a rufous-chestnut tail. Note the white chin with fine black streaks. Found in grassy areas with rocks, where it usually forages on the ground.
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