Nile Valley Sunbird

Hedydipna metallica

Tiny sunbird with a relatively short bill. Male is unmistakable with a glossy green head, throat and back, a bright yellow belly, and extremely long thin tail. Females are yellowish below with a short tail and a whitish throat. Breeds in gardens, plantations, oases, and acacia scrub. Vocalizations similar to Palestine Sunbird, but both calls and song have a buzzing quality.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Hedydipna metallica
Authority
(Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Nectariniidae
Genus
Hedydipna

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Eye-ringed Flatbill

Eye-ringed Flatbill

Rhynchocyclus brevirostris

Rather large headed and overall greenish flycatcher of humid tropical and subtropical forest; infrequently encountered. Inconspicuous, usually perching rather upright and quietly at mid-levels in the forest interior, rarely at edges; does not flick its wings or tail. Plumage relatively distinctive, with a contrasting, complete whitish eyering set in a pale grayish face. Lacks any distinct pale wingbars. Call is a high, shrill, insect-like note that does not draw attention.

Sichuan Treecreeper

Sichuan Treecreeper

Certhia tianquanensis

Dull, short-billed treecreeper with a white throat, brown upperparts, and brown-suffused pale underparts. Restricted to mature montane coniferous stands, especially fir. Like other treecreepers, scrambles quickly up trunks and along branches with its tail held flat against the bark. Very similar to Hodgson’s Treecreeper, but Sichuan averages darker on the face and belly, with a different song: a long tinkling series of descending high notes. Call is high-pitched and sputtery, like a sped-up version of the song.

Orange-crowned Manakin

Orange-crowned Manakin

Heterocercus aurantiivertex

Dull manakin of seasonally flooded swamp forest in Amazonian lowlands. Male is less colorful than most manakins, with brown upperparts, cinnamon underparts, and a white throat; his orange crown is usually hidden and not often seen in the field. Female is duller; she is mostly olive-brown with a pale throat and face, and lacks a crown patch. Usually seen at lower to middle levels of forest along streams and lakes. Typical song is a rapid trill with undulating pitch.

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.