Variable Sunbird
A species of Double-collared Sunbirds and Allies Scientific name : Cinnyris venustus Genus : Double-collared Sunbirds and Allies
Variable Sunbird, A species of Double-collared Sunbirds and Allies
Botanical name: Cinnyris venustus
Genus: Double-collared Sunbirds and Allies
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
The variable sunbird (or yellow-bellied sunbird), Cinnyris venustus (formerly Nectarinia venusta), is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time. The variable sunbird is a fairly common resident breeder in equatorial Africa. Two eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. This species is found in open woodland and cultivation. Variable sunbirds are small, only 10 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. The adult male has a glossy green head, throat and nape, and a maroon breast band. In most subspecies, the belly of the male is yellow, but in a few it is orange or white. The female has grey-brown upperparts and yellowish underparts, and an obvious pale supercilium. The eclipse male is like the female, but shows some green, especially on the throat. The call is a clear tew-tew-tew-tew-tew .
Size
11 cm
Colors
Brown
Black
Green
Yellow
Gray
Blue
Purple
Cyan
Life Expectancy
8.25 years
Feeding Habits
Variable Sunbird primarily consumes nectar but also eats insects, especially to feed its young. It exhibits specialized foraging techniques for nectar extraction and hunts insects with agility. Variable Sunbird has adaptations like a long curved bill suited to accessing deep flowers.
Habitat
The variable Sunbird predominantly inhabits open woodlands and cultivated areas, thriving in diverse environments ranging from thornbush savannas to montane savannas. It is commonly found in habitats such as Brachystegia woodlands, forest edges, wooded ravines, and farmlands. The variable Sunbird is also seen in parks, coastal regions, mangrove swamps, and coconut plantations. Adaptable to human-altered landscapes, it frequents gardens within urban settings. It favors moister and more wooded regions in the southern part of its range and is found at elevations up to 2700 meters in mountainous areas.
Dite type
Nectivorous
General Info
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Sunbirds and spiderhunters Species
Variable Sunbird