Greater Double-collared Sunbird

Overview

The greater double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris afer) is a small avian species belonging to the sunbird family, previously classified under the genus Nectarinia. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Size and Build: Approximately 14 cm in length with long, decurved black bills and black legs and feet.
• Plumage (Male): Glossy, metallic green head, throat, upper breast and back, featuring a broad brilliant red chest band separated from the green breast by a narrow metallic blue band; underparts are pale grey.
• Plumage (Female): Pale grey plumage, appearing darker on the wings.
• Vocalisations: The call is a hard chut-chut-chut, while the song consists of a high-pitched jumble of tweets and twitters; a distinct shrill whistle and click (wrew wrew wrew ch ch) is also noted.

Habitat

This species breeds in southern, eastern and northeastern South Africa and Eswatini, where it is mainly resident but partly migratory in the northeast. It is commonly found in gardens, fynbos, forest edges and coastal scrub.

Diet

The bird feeds primarily on nectar from flowers, though it also consumes fruit, insects and spiders, particularly when feeding its young. It often perches to feed but can hover like a hummingbird, and has the specific habit of hovering in front of webs to extract spiders.

Did you know?

During displays, yellow feather tufts can be seen on the shoulders of the male. Its nest is a closed oval constructed from grass, lichen and other plant material, which is bound together with spider webs and lined with feathers.