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Indicator archipelagicus
Basic stats
Diet
Insects, beeswax
Habitat
Canopy
Range
Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia
Clutch size
1 egg (brood parasite, typical for honeyguides)
Incubation period
About 15–17 days (typical for honeyguides)
Size
Small (17–18cm)
Wingspan
~28–30cm
Weight
~30–40g
An unusual, unobtrusive bird related to honeyguides of Africa, with dull olive-grey plumage that makes it easy to overlook, feeding partly on beeswax — one of very few birds able to digest wax.
Generally solitary and quiet, foraging in the canopy for insects and beeswax scavenged from bee nests; a genuinely uncommon and easily missed species on any itinerary.
