Where's the Honey, Honey?

Can humans and wild birds work together? In northern Kenya, the honeyguide helps people find honey.

The honeyguide loves to eat beeswax and grubs (baby bees) and always knows where to find a good beehive. But the bird is too small to break open the hive to get at most of the delicious food inside. That's where the Boran people come in. They live in an area of grasses and few trees in eastern Africa, where they raise cattle. They make all their own food, and every now and then they like a little fresh honey. To get honey, they have to find a wild beehive and take the honey out themselves. But beehives can be difficult to find in the wilderness. Luckily, the Boran have the honeyguide to help.

The Honey Hunt

When either the bird or the Boran want to go honey hunting, they have a way "of calling each other. The Boran have a special whistle that can be heard more than half a mile away. The honeyguide calls to humans by sounding two notes over and over: tirr-tirr-tirrtirr! As it calls, it hops about on branches nearby.

When both the Boran and the honeyguide are ready, the hunt begins. The bird flies out of sight, probably to remind itself of the right way to go. Then it returns and lands where it can be seen. As soon as the people get close, it flies ahead, showing its white tail feathers. Then it lands again and waits for the Boran to catch up. The Boran make noise to let the bird know they're still following. They whistle, bang on wood, and talk loudly.

As they get closer to the hive, the honeyguide flies ahead shorter distances and lands more often. It also starts perching closer to the ground. The Boran can tell that they're getting close.

Finally, when it reaches the beehive, the honeyguide makes a new noise. It tells the Boran, "Hey, we're here!" in a soft tone with long pauses between notes. The Boran start a fire. With a piece of smoking wood, they flush the bees out, break open the hive, and gather the honey. And they are careful to leave their honeyguide lots of wax and grubs.

Both Win

Without help from the bird, the Boran say that it takes almost nine hours to find a beehive. Sometimes they can't find one at all. But with the honeyguide leading the way, the hunt takes just over three hours and they almost always find a hive.

Honeyguides sometimes visit hives alone. They can peck a little at the front door of the hive, but even when the bees are drowsy the birds don't get much food, and it's still dangerous. But with the help of humans, their smoke, and their tools, the honeyguide can get into 96 percent more beehives!

Now that's working well together.

Copyright Carus Publishing Company Nov/Dec 2007
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved