Cassin's honeybird, also known as Cassin's honeyguide, is a species of bird in the family Indicatoridae.
Region
West and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland and foothill forests, forest edges, secondary woodland, and gallery forests. It frequents tall woodland, clearings with scattered trees, and plantations with flowering trees such as cocoa and coffee. Most foraging is in the mid to upper canopy where it gleans quietly among foliage. It may join mixed-species flocks and also uses riverine thickets and wooded savannas near forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Cassin's honeybird, also called Cassin's honeyguide, is a small African brood parasite in the family Indicatoridae. Unlike the greater honeyguide, it does not typically lead people to bee nests and feeds mainly on insects in the forest canopy. It lays its eggs in the nests of small passerines, especially sunbirds, leaving the hosts to raise its young. Its thin, high-pitched calls often reveal its presence before it is seen.
Temperament
secretive and inconspicuous
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, foraging quietly in the canopy and at forest edges. It is an obligate brood parasite, laying eggs in the nests of small passerines (often sunbirds), and does not build its own nest. Courtship is subtle, and birds may follow mixed-species flocks while foraging.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Voice is a series of thin, high-pitched tsee or seee notes, sometimes delivered in short, rapid sequences. Calls can be easily overlooked against insect noise but carry well in the canopy.
