Wax digestion by Black‐throated Honey‐guides Indicator indicator

The honey‐guides (Indicatoridae) are brood parasites and specialist feeders on wax; the larger species obtain wax from bees' nests and the smaller ones from scale‐insects or fruit (Friedmann 1955, Diamond 1985). The ability to digest beeswax has been demonstrated experimentally in only one bird species, the Lesser Honey‐guide Indicator minor (Friedmann & Kern 1956a). Here we describe an experiment confirming the same ability in the Black‐throated or Greater Honey‐guide, 1.indicator, and discuss reasons for questioning Friedmann and Kern's claim that wax digestion in honey‐guides need be accomplished hy symbiotic microorganisms.