Malachite Sunbird
Nectarinia famosa
Breeding male is unmistakable: bright green with a long tail. Non-breeding male is duller but usually still shows some iridescent green and an elongated tail. Female is a big, dull sunbird with a long bill. Found in fynbos, moorland, grassland, scrub, and exotic tree plantations. Restricted to high elevations except in South Africa, where it occurs down to sea level. Song consists of “tyep” notes and emphatic rattles. Female similar to female Bronze Sunbird but larger, duller below, and with a fainter eyebrow.
Identification
The breeding male malachite sunbird, which has very long central tail feathers, is 25 cm long, and the shorter-tailed female 15 cm. The adult male is metallic green when breeding, with blackish-green wings with small yellow pectoral patches. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male's upperparts are brown apart from the green wings and tail, the latter retaining the elongated feathers. The underparts in eclipse plumage are yellow, flecked with green.<p>The female has brown upperparts and dull yellow underparts with some indistinct streaking on the breast. Her tail is square-ended. The juvenile resembles the female.
Taxonomy
The sunbirds are a group of small Old World passerine birds, and are placed within the family Nectariniidae, which is found across Africa, the Middle East and into South-east Asia. Also called green sugarbird.<p>The malachite sunbird has two subspecies. The nominate N. f. famosa occurs mainly in South Africa, Lesotho and western Eswatini, although its range just extends into southern Namibia and Zimbabwe. N. f. cupreonitens breeds in the highlands from Ethiopia south to northern Mozambique.
- Scientific name
- Nectarinia famosa
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Nectarinia
Range and habitat
This large sunbird is found in hilly fynbos (including protea stands as well as areas with aloes) and cool montane and coastal scrub, up to 2,800m altitude in South Africa. It also occurs in parks and gardens (often nesting within those located in the Highveld). It is resident, but may move downhill in winter.<p>This species, like most sunbirds, feeds mainly on nectar, although it will also take insects, especially when feeding young. This sunbird may hunt in a similar manner to a flycatcher, hawking for insect prey from a perch.<p>Most sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time. As a fairly large sunbird, the malachite sunbird is no exception. They have long thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to nectar feeding. Some plant species from which malachite sunbirds feed include many Aloe species, such as Aloe broomii, Aloe ferox and Aloe arborescens, and Protea species, such as Protea roupelliae as well as various other bird-pollinated plants such as Leonotis and Strelitzia. It has been suggested that their behaviour of guarding flowering plants may have led to the selection and evolution of long-tubed flowers that would otherwise tend to be robbed (nectar taken but not pollinated) by short-billed sunbird species.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Cape Grassbird
Sphenoeacus afer
A chunky, streak-backed warbler with a rusty head and wings, a ragged rufous tail, and black moustache stripes. It avoids woodland and trees, preferring rank areas with long grass, scrubby edge, and wet heathland (fynbos). It hops and clambers through dense brush and thickets, then flies low on rapidly-beating wings in labored flight to the next bush, immediately diving into cover. But it will also perch on prominent tall shrubs, like proteas, and sing its melodious tinkling jumbled song that starts softly and gets progressively louder. It also has a distinctive flat mewing “meeeeep” call. The Moustached Grass-Warbler is similar to the Cape Grassbird, but it has a plain unstreaked back, a broad black tail, and a pale eye.
Western Woodhaunter
Automolus virgatus
This fairly small brown bird is a shy forest-dwelling species; it is usually seen in the lower or middle levels of the forest interior. Most similar to foliage-gleaners, which can be very similar in plumage. Look for the woodhaunter’s blurry buffy streaking on the head and breast, rather long straight bill, and lack of a pale eyebrow. Does not climb up tree trunks like a woodcreeper, but forages by hopping around tangles, mosses, and vines, rummaging around looking for invertebrates. Most often seen singly or in pairs, sometimes accompanying mixed-species flocks. Listen for series of hard nasal chips, and grating scold calls. Occurs from eastern Nicaragua to western Ecuador.
Chestnut-backed Owlet
Glaucidium castanotum
Small owl lacking ear tufts, with chestnut mantle and pale belly with streaked flanks. Crepuscular and diurnal, occurring singly or in pairs in wet rainforest, or neighboring woods. Chestnut back and streaked flanks of Chestnut-backed Owlet separate it from the similar Jungle Owlet, and Chestnut-backed also prefers the wetter region of the island. Call is a series of barbet like “kurr-kurr-kurr” notes, often followed by harsh “kao-kao” yaps, similar to Jungle Owlet, but slightly lower-pitched.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.