Beautiful Sunbird

Overview

The beautiful sunbird, Cinnyris pulchellus, is a tiny passerine bird in the sunbird family native to tropical Africa. It is classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN due to its wide range and large population across sub-Saharan Africa.

Identification

• Size: Tiny, approximately 10 cm in body length, with the breeding male's long tail adding another 5 cm.
• Plumage (Male): Features a black head, bright metallic green upper parts, a scarlet breast bordered with yellow, and a black belly.
• Plumage (Female): Distinctly duller, appearing brown above with yellowish underparts.
• Morphology: Possesses medium-length, thin, down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues.

Habitat

Found in a variety of open habitats with some trees, including savannah, riverside thickets, mangroves, beachsides, and gardens. Its range extends from Senegal and Guinea in the west to Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya in the east.

Diet

Feeds largely on nectar, utilising its specialised bill and tongue, although it also consumes insects, particularly when feeding young. It usually perches to feed, though it can hover like a hummingbird.

Did you know?

This species was formally described in 1766 by Carl Linnaeus based on a description by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson, who named it "Le grimpereau à longue queue du Sénégal". It was formerly considered the same species as the gorgeous sunbird before being split based on morphological differences.