Researchers have discovered that African hunter-gatherers are receiving a helping hand in the quest for honey. Greater Honeyguides not only respond to human calls from various geographical groups but assist them in locating honey-rich bees nests. The birds receive the wax from the bees' nests as a reward for helping the humans. This relationship works perfectly as the humans need a better way of tracking down the nests and the birds need access to the wax.
"The new study provides the first solid evidence of two-way, collaborative communication between humans and a nonhuman animal in the wild."The humans have various calls for the birds, including a loud trill followed by a grunt to a whistling sound. The birds respond with a chattering sound announcing their arrival. The current question at hand is how this relationship came to be. It is possible that this hunting relationship has been going on for over 1 million years. Researchers aim to learn if this behavior is observed and learned by young Greater Honeyguides from their parents.
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/how-a-wild-bird-leads-people-to-honey
