Red-tufted Sunbird
Nectarinia johnstoni
Large, long-billed dark sunbird with red shoulder tufts that are often hidden. Males have very long tail streamers and are dark iridescent green in breeding plumage, and gray-brown with some green patches in non-breeding plumage. Females are dark gray-brown. Found in grassland and heath habitats at very high elevations. Vocalizations include metallic calls and a quick, scrambled song. Similar to Malachite Sunbird, but generally found at higher elevations, and looks darker in all plumages; female lacks white edges to the tail.
Identification
The scarlet-tufted sunbird is a large sunbird. Adult males have long tails, up to about 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, and scarlet pectoral tufts up to about 10 millimetres (0.39 in) wide. These tufts can be seen in flight and when the wings are rearranged, but not in perched birds. The head is black and the upper parts are metallic green, appearing almost black from a distance. The rump is bluish and the wings and tail black, the latter having elongated central feathers. The underparts are iridescent green, fading to bluish-violet on the upper belly and black on the lower belly. The female has brownish-grey upper parts, brownish-black wings and a dark brown tail. The underparts are whitish with dark mottling. The pectoral tufts are smaller than those of the male and may be rather more orangey-red. The juvenile is similar to the adult female but lacks the pectoral tufts.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Nectarinia johnstoni
- Authority
- Shelley, 1885
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Nectarinia
Range and habitat
The scarlet-tufted sunbird is found at very high altitudes in the Afroalpine Rwenzori-Virunga montane moorlands and East African montane moorlands, though also found at lower altitudes. Its normal range is on several disjunct areas of montane forest and moorland between 3,000 and 4,500 m (9,843 and 14,764 ft) in altitude, which encompasses a number of zones of vegetation. It is especially associated with giant lobelia, feeding on the nectar and insects on the plants, and using the tall flowerheads as song-posts. At lower altitudes it feeds on Protea and other plants.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-bellied Seedsnipe
Attagis malouinus
Chunky, generally scarce, rather grouselike bird of bleak moorland, bogs, and rocky slopes above timberline; in winter, sometimes descends to lowland Patagonian steppe, when it can be seen along roadsides. Found in pairs or small groups. Lacey “chainmail” pattern to upperparts is beautifully cryptic, and birds sometimes freeze when alarmed making them more difficult to see. No similar species in range; note the short stout bill and contrasting snowy-white belly. Flight strong and fast; flushes with loud shrieking choruses.
Slate-crowned Antpitta
Grallaricula nana
Small and fairly bright antpitta found in subtropics from Venezuela to extreme northern Peru. Typical antpitta shape, but smaller: plump and short-tailed with long legs. Warm tawny below and duller brown above with contrasting gray crown. Messy buffy face and eyering. Breast usually looks somewhat scalloped. Sexes similar. Shy and difficult to see; stays on or near the ground in montane forest, usually within bamboo thickets. More arboreal than the larger antpittas; often seen perched several feet off the ground. Listen for song, a descending series of high-pitched whistles “pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi-pi.” Disjunct population on tepuis of Venezuela and Guyana possibly a separate species.
Slaty-capped Flycatcher
Leptopogon superciliaris
Small flycatcher with gray cap, black ear patch, and buffy wingbars. Head pattern looks messy. Olive back and pale yellow belly. Most similar to Sepia-capped Flycatcher, but that species has a brown cap (not gray). Also very similar to bristle-tyrants of South America but note buffy wingbars and voice—a commonly heard, explosive “pseek!” sometimes with a sputtering trill at the end. Look for singles or pairs in forests and edges, usually not too high in the trees. Often follows mixed-species flocks.
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