Birds guiding individuals towards honey are able to identify familiar signals emitted by nearby humans.

In the Niassa Special Reserve in northern Mozambique, people have a unique method of acquiring honey. Instead of using food delivery services like DoorDash or Uber Eats, they call upon a bird called the honeyguide. This bird helps them locate bee nests so they can collect honey, and in return, it gets to enjoy the wax and larvae. A recent study has revealed that this partnership between humans and honeyguides is more intricate than anticipated. Researchers have found that people in different regions have distinct sounds to summon the birds, and the birds recognize and respond to calls specific to their local area. This suggests that humans and honeyguides have influenced each other’s cultural practices. The study has been praised for its clear results and simple experimental design.