Collared sunbird
male
female
both Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Nectariniidae
Genus: Hedydipna
Species:
H. collaris
Binomial name
Hedydipna collaris
(Vieillot, 1819)
Synonyms

Anthreptes collaris
Anthodiaeta collaris

The collared sunbird (Hedydipna collaris) is a bird species of the family Nectariniidae. The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. The collared sunbird is in fact mainly insectivorous.

Male in a garden grapevine
Female in nest

Sunbird flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time.

The collared sunbird is a common breeder across most of sub-Saharan Africa. Two or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. It is a seasonal bird migrant within its range.

Collared sunbirds are tiny, only 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in) long. They have short thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to nectar feeding.

The adult male has glossy green upperparts and head with a yellow belly and narrow purple breast band. The female is a duller green above and entirely yellow below.

This species inhabits forests near water.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Hedydipna collaris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22717668A94545190. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22717668A94545190.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  • Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.