Most birds are afraid of humans, but this kind of bird is quite different. It is trying to tell you something. It flies just in sight, leading you to follow.
The bird seems to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. It often guides humans and other animals to bee hives. The humans then drive the bees and take the honey, allowing the bird to get to the leftovers. This habit of guiding gives this special bird its common name of honeyguide, or honey bird.
The honeyguide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax in the bees’ honeycomb. The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees’ nest. So, when it finds a nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honeyguide gives a loud call that attracts the attention of both passing animals such as ratels, and human beings. There is a sense of urgency in the call, almost as if the bird is saying Hurry up. Come quick. Follow me.
If you follow a honeyguide to a nest, the bird will wait patiently in a tree nearby, waiting for you to pull apart the beehive and harvesting the honey. Once you are finished, it will be the bird’s turn — not for the honey, but to eat the larvae and rich wax that is part of the bird’s diet.
Tribesmen in Africa are very grateful to the honeyguide for leading them to good sources of honey, but they are also afraid of the little bird. They believe that if they do not open a bees nest and leave some honeycomb for the honeyguide the next time the bird cries to them through the forest it will lead them to a lion or a snake as revenge.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, this amazing honey bird is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
【小题1】The honeyguide waits patiently nearby in order to _______.| A．eat some wax |
| B．get some honey |
| C．find another person |
| D．find another nest |
| A．climb to the nest |
| B．take honey from the beehives |
| C．smell honey in the distance |
| D．smell wax in the distance |
| A．how people get delicious honey |
| B．how a bird helps people and other animals get honey |
| C．how a bird takes revenge on humans |
| D．how tribesmen protect themselves from the bird |
