Variable Sunbird

Cinnyris venustus

Riverine forests and bush. Head and above glossy-green; breast violet; belly yellow.

Not Endemic

Description

Uncommon, localised endemic resident. Range does overlap with very similar [Marico Sunbird] and [Purple-banded Sunbird], from which male differs in short bill, blue rump and narrower breast-band. Male told from [Southern Double-collared Sunbird], [Eastern Miombo Sunbird] and [Greater Double-collared Sunbird] by blackish belly; female told by short bill and plain yellow underparts. Range does overlap with very similar Marico and Purple-banded Sunbirds, from which male differs primarily in bright red (not maroon) breast-band and blue (not green) rump. Call a sharp, descending ‘chee ti-ti-ti’. Occurs in pairs, mostly in dry, mixed coastal woodland and sand forests, where it forages on the canopy edge.

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.