Scarlet-chested Sunbird

Chalcomitra senegalensis

Woodland. Red breast visible when bird is perched. Iridescent green on forehead.

Sunbirds

Not Endemic

Description

Common resident. Male distinguished from male of [Purple-banded Sunbird] by larger size and longer, more decurved bill; from Neergaard’s Sunbird also by these features plus claret-red or maroon (not bright red) breast-band; from the double-collared sunbirds [Southern Double-collared Sunbird], [Miombo Double-collared Sunbird], [Greater Double-collared Sunbird] by black belly. Female told by long bill, dusky throat and orange-yellow breast. Immature starts with yellow underparts and black bib. As the yellow fades with ageing, the plumage can resemble female Amethyst Sunbird. The call is a brisk ‘chip-chip’ or a husky ‘schitz-schitz’, often given as a stuttering series; the song is a rapid warbling. Usually occurs in pairs in Acacia thornveld.

Quick Facts

Bird Family

Small, insectivorous and nectar-drinking birds with decurved bills adapted to flower-probing. Males have iridescent plumage and yellow, orange or red tufts on the sides of the breast (pectoral tufts) that are displayed in excitement. Some males undergo an annual eclipse when they adopt drab, non-breeding plumage resembling the normal plumage of the female. Immatures are like females, often with a dark throat. Their flight is swift and erratic, males spending much time chasing females and other males. They gather in numbers when favoured nectar-rich plants are in blossom.