Malaysian Honeyguide

Malaysian Honeyguide

Indicator archipelagicus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCNTNear ThreatenedVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Danum Valley Conservation Area

In 3 days <5%

8 Verified sightings at Danum Valley Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
59 In all 4 parks
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Malaysian Honeyguide

The Malaysian honeyguide (Indicator archipelagicus) is a bird in the family Indicatoridae, which are paleotropical near passerine birds related to the woodpeckers. The species is native to Southeast Asia. It is a medium-sized, up to 18 cm long, olive-brown honeyguide with greenish streaks, reddish iris, thick grey bill and greyish white below. The male has a yellow patch on the shoulder, while the female has none. The young resembles the female with streaked underparts.

The Malaysian honeyguide occurs throughout lowland broadleaved forests of western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and the island of Sumatra. The call of the Malaysian honeyguide is a cat-like "meow", followed by a rattling sound. The diet consists mainly of insects, especially wild bees and wasps. It nests in tree hollows.

Due to ongoing habitat loss, local and sparse population, the Malaysian honeyguide is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. BirdLife Species Factsheet Image at ADW Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
2 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
3 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
4 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Malaysian Honeyguide in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Malaysian Honeyguide sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 239th most-seen of the 258 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Malaysian Honeyguide in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Malaysian Honeyguide in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Malaysian Honeyguide?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Malaysian Honeyguide sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Danum Valley Conservation Area the best place to see a Malaysian Honeyguide?

3rd of 4

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Malaysian Honeyguide sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Way Kambas National Park (Indonesia, about 10%) and Taman Negara National Park (Malaysia, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Malaysian Honeyguide live in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Same order: Piciformes

The closest relatives of the Malaysian Honeyguide that you can see in Danum Valley Conservation Area (order Piciformes, Woodpeckers and Allies) are Black-eared Barbet (about 40%), Red-throated Barbet (about 30%) and Rufous Piculet (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Malaysian Honeyguide sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Malaysian Honeyguide is recorded against all the birds logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Danum Valley Conservation Area