Wild honeyguide birds master local human “dialects” to maintain ancient honey-hunting partnership

In a remarkable example of cross-species communication, wild honeyguide birds in northern Mozambique have learned to recognize and respond to distinct regional “dialects” used by human honey-hunters, according to new research. This ancient partnership, found in scattered locations across Africa, demonstrates an extraordinary level of adaptation between humans and wildlife.

The study, conducted in Mozambique’s vast 42,000-square-kilometer Niassa Special Reserve, examined how greater honeyguides (Indicator indicator) respond to human vocal signals. Local honey-hunters use three distinct types of calls to communicate with these small brown birds: two “recruitment calls” to initially attract the birds’ attention, and a “coordination call” to maintain engagement during the hunt. The calls typically involve combinations of shrill whoops, low trills, grunts, and sometimes whistles.

Researchers analyzed recordings from 131 honey-hunters across 13 villages and discovered that the vocal calls varied significantly between communities—much like human dialects. Remarkably, the birds have learned to recognize and respond to these regional differences. The partnership works because both species benefit: honeyguides use their aerial advantage to locate wild bee nests and guide humans to them, while the humans use tools to open the nests for honey and leave behind the exposed wax and larvae that the birds prefer to eat.

Perhaps most fascinating is that when honey-hunters relocate to different villages, they adapt by learning and adopting the local calls that the birds in that area recognize—demonstrating the deep practical knowledge required to maintain this extraordinary interspecies cooperation that has likely existed for thousands of years.