Palestine Sunbird
Cinnyris osea
The male is a flying gem of iridescent colors. The female is all gray with a black tail. The bill is long and downcurved, adapted to extract nectar from flowers. Normally found on flowering trees and bushes; often hovering. Favors urban and suburban gardens, but also natural habitats including arid zones, where it can be locally abundant. The male gives a beautiful series of musical whistles with local dialect variations.
Identification
The Palestine sunbird is 8 to 12 cm long with a wingspan of 14 to 16 cm. Males have an average weight of 7.6 g and females weigh around 6.8 g. The bill is fairly long, black and curves downwards. The plumage of breeding males is mostly dark but appears glossy blue or green in the light. There are orange tufts at the sides of the breast which are hard to see except at close range. Females and juveniles are grey-brown above with pale underparts. Non-breeding males are similar but may retain some dark feathers.<p>It has a high, fast, jingling song and various calls including a harsh alarm call.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Cinnyris osea
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1856
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Cinnyris
Range and habitat
It occurs in areas with high temperatures and dry climate from sea level up to an altitude of 3200 m. It inhabits dry woodland, scrub, wadis, savannas, orchards and gardens. It is common in towns in some areas.[citation needed] <p>The Middle Eastern subspecies C. o. osea breeds from Israel, Palestine and Jordan in the north, down through western Saudi Arabia to Yemen and Oman in the south. The expansion of Jewish settlements in Israel over the last century played a significant role in the spread of the Palestine sunbird throughout the region. In recent decades it has colonized the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It has been observed breeding in Lebanon and regularly winters in both Lebanon and Syria.[citation needed] <p>The African subspecies C. o. decorsei is found very locally in parts of Sudan, north-west Uganda, the Central African Republic, north-east Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Cameroon.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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