White-bellied Sunbird
Cinnyris talatala
Wooded regions. Head, breast and mantle glossy blue; belly white; curved black bill.
LC
Not Endemic
Description
Common endemic resident. Male unmistakable with orange underparts, green iridescence on head and elongated central tail-feathers. Female differs from female [Southern Double-collared Sunbird] in yellower underparts. Call is ‘sshraynk’ uttered one or more times, the song a subdued, high-pitched warbling. Pairs or loose parties found on fynbos-covered hillsides. Male indulges in much chasing with conspicuous aerial manoeuvres.
Quick Facts
Size
11 cm - S
Names
A: Witpenssuikerbekkie
Z: incwincwemhlope
G: Weißbauch-Nektarvogel
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.
Distribution
Gallery
Behaviour
Breeding
Habitat
Pairs or loose parties found on 'fynbos'-covered hillsides.
