Bronze Sunbird
Nectarinia kilimensis
Medium-sized sunbird with a long, thin, well-curved bill. Males have bronze-and-green iridescence, though they look black in most light. There is an odd all-green subspecies in Angola, but it does not overlap in range with Malachite or Scarlet-tufted Sunbirds. The female has a pale eyebrow and pale yellowish underparts with fine streaking. Found in montane habitats including forest, grassland, woodland, and gardens. Vocalizations include a jumble of twittering notes and cleaner whistles. Male similar to male Tacazze Sunbird, but lacks any purple tones to the plumage. Female Bronze Sunbird separated from female Tacazze and Malachite Sunbirds by paler underparts with fine streaks.
Identification
Bronzy sunbirds have a long, thin, well-curved bill. Males have bronze-and-green undertones but most often look black in light. While the male has the undertones, the female however has a pale eyebrow and an added yellowish park below the belly with fine streaking. On some subspecies specifically located in Angola there is a splash of odd green, but it does not overlap in range with malachite or scarlet-tufted sunbirds in similar areas which do not have this green streaking. Male sunbirds lack any purple tones to the plumage which is found on female species.<p>Bronzy sunbirds use a jumble of twittering notes followed by cleaner whistle sounds. These sounds are most often heard during the early morning and mid day.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Nectarinia kilimensis
- Authority
- Shelley, 1885
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Nectariniidae
- Genus
- Nectarinia
Range and habitat
The bronzy sunbird can be found in Africa. While not very common they can be best found near the edges of the Afromontane forest, mountain sides and Zimbabwe's eastern highlands and adjacent next to Mozambique. Other countries they can be found include Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. They stay far away from populated areas in these countries and have adapted to most remote environments. These environments include Savannas, dried shrub-land, grass, seasonally flooded areas, and rural gardens. They are most abundant in subtropical forests and brush-land.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The diet of the bronzy sunbird is very specific limited to Nectar, Spiders and Insects. The insects that they consume include Ants, Coleoptera (beetles), Hemiptera (bugs), Hymenoptera (wasps, bees and ants), Diptera (flies), and termites.<p>During the breeding process the male role is very limited. After conception the male often leaves. The female assumes most of the responsibility and lays its eggs anytime from September to May but the peak of egg laying is between the months of October to December. They often lay 1 to 2 eggs and after the eggs have hatched the new chicks are fed and brooded mainly by the female for a period of 16 to 21 days. After that period they continue to return to the nest for about a week longer, becoming fully independent about 2–3 weeks later. The nests that these chicks live in over this period of time are built by the female only and it takes her anywhere between 5 and 15 days before the chicks are born. The basket is made as an oval structure. They use pieces of ferns, bits of dry grass, shreds of bark, bracken, leaves, lichen and inflorescences, often secured down with spider web. The entrance to this nest is covered down by a small flap, and the interior is made of fine grass and plants. It is attached at the roof to a branch within a small patch of bushes or of a type of sap.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Common Green-Magpie
Cissa chinensis
A neon-colored, noisy, highly social bird of lowland and mid-altitude subtropical forests. Surprisingly difficult to spot as it glides from tree to tree in the middle and upper levels of the forest. Memorable if seen well: bright green with chestnut-tipped wings, a black mask, and a coral-red bill. Similar Indochinese Green-Magpie is yellower-toned and paler-eyed, and lacks the black-and-white “lattice” of feathers on the rear tip of the wings. Gives a series of piercing shrieks followed by a hollow and decisive-sounding “chup” note.
Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet
Phylloscartes ventralis
Small olive-yellow flycatcher with a long slender tail, which is often held cocked. Olive above and yellow below with a pale eyebrow, a white chin, and two pale wingbars. Found in montane forests including Araucaria forests, where it forages actively in the middle and upper layers of the forest often with mixed-species flocks. The song is short and high-pitched.
Plain Prinia
Prinia inornata
A common prinia with drab gray-brown plumage that varies in tone across its range. Note the pale, wide eyebrow and the long tail that appears as if it is loosely attached to the body. Breeding birds have a black bill and a shorter tail. Common in various habitats, especially farms and wetlands, but avoids woodlands with a canopy. A somewhat bold species, it often skulks in the undergrowth but sings from exposed perches. The song is a repeated series of insectlike trills. Calls include various buzzing and clinking notes. Also produces snapping sounds with its wings.
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