Malachite Sunbird
Encyclopedia
The Malachite Sunbird, Nectarinia famosa is a small nectivorous bird found in the southern part of the Southern African region.
passerine
birds, and are placed within the family Nectariniidae, which is found across Africa, the Middle East and into South-east Asia.
The Malchite Sunbird has two subspecies. The nominate N. f. famosa occurs mainly in South Africa
, Lesotho
and western Swaziland
, although its range just extends into southern Namibia
and Zimbabwe
. N. f. cupreonitens breeds in the highlands from Ethiopia south to northern Mozambique
.
The female has brown upperparts and dull yellow underparts with some indistinct streaking on the breast. Her tail is square-ended. The juvenile resembles the female.
is found in hilly fynbos
(including protea
stands as well as areas with aloe
s) and cool montane and coastal scrub, up to 2,800m altitude in South Africa. It also occurs in parks and gardens (often nesting within those located in the Highveld). It is resident, but may move
downhill in winter.
This species, like most sunbirds, feed mainly on nectar, although they will also take insect
s, especially when feeding young. This sunbird may hunt in a similar manner to a flycatcher, hawking for insect prey from a perch.
Most sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird
, but usually perch to feed most of the time. As a fairly large sunbird, the Malachite Sunbird is no exception. They have long thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to nectar feeding. Some plant species from which Malachite Sunbirds feed include many Aloe species, such as Aloe broomii
, Aloe ferox
and Aloe arborescens
, and Protea species, such as Protea roupelliae
as well as various other bird-pollinated plants such as Leonotis
and Strelitzia
.
by Klaas's Cuckoo
or Red-chested Cuckoo
.
It is territorial and aggressive when nesting, but highly gregarious when not breeding, forming flocks of more than 1000 birds.
The call is a loud tseep-tseep, and the male Malachite Sunbird has a twittering song, often accompanied by pointing its head upward and displaying the yellow pectoral tufts with its wings half open. Males also have an elaborate display flight.
Taxonomy
The sunbirds are a group of small Old WorldOld World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
birds, and are placed within the family Nectariniidae, which is found across Africa, the Middle East and into South-east Asia.
The Malchite Sunbird has two subspecies. The nominate N. f. famosa occurs mainly in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
and western Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
, although its range just extends into southern Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. N. f. cupreonitens breeds in the highlands from Ethiopia south to northern Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
.
Appearance
The breeding male Malachite Sunbird, which has very long central tail feathers, is 25cm long, and the shorter-tailed female 15 cm. The adult male is metallic green when breeding, with blackish-green wings with small yellow pectoral patches. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male’s upperparts are brown apart from the green wings and tail, the latter retaining the elongated feathers. The underparts in eclipse plumage are yellow, flecked with green.The female has brown upperparts and dull yellow underparts with some indistinct streaking on the breast. Her tail is square-ended. The juvenile resembles the female.
Habitat
This large sunbirdSunbird
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
is found in hilly fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
(including protea
Protea
Protea is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes.-Etymology:...
stands as well as areas with aloe
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
s) and cool montane and coastal scrub, up to 2,800m altitude in South Africa. It also occurs in parks and gardens (often nesting within those located in the Highveld). It is resident, but may move
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
downhill in winter.
This species, like most sunbirds, feed mainly on nectar, although they will also take insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, especially when feeding young. This sunbird may hunt in a similar manner to a flycatcher, hawking for insect prey from a perch.
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
, but usually perch to feed most of the time. As a fairly large sunbird, the Malachite Sunbird is no exception. They have long thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to nectar feeding. Some plant species from which Malachite Sunbirds feed include many Aloe species, such as Aloe broomii
Aloe broomii
Aloe broomii, known as the mountain aloe or snake aloe on account of its odd inflorescence, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Aloe, found in southern Africa.-Distribution:...
, Aloe ferox
Aloe ferox
Aloe ferox, also known as Cape Aloe, Bitter Aloe, Red Aloe and Tap Aloe, is a species of aloe indigenous to South Africa's Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Lesotho....
and Aloe arborescens
Aloe arborescens
Aloe arborescens, commonly known as the Krantz Aloe, belongs to the Aloe genus, which it shares with the well known and studied Aloe vera plant. This species is also relatively popular among gardeners and has recently been studied for possible medical uses...
, and Protea species, such as Protea roupelliae
Protea roupelliae
Protea roupelliae is a species of Protea.-Taxonomy:P. roupelliae is a species of protea in the huge family Proteaceae. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species...
as well as various other bird-pollinated plants such as Leonotis
Leonotis
Leonotis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It comprises 9 species. One of these, Leonotis nepetifolia, is native to tropical Africa and southern India. It is naturalized throughout most of the tropics. The other 8 species are endemic to southern Africa...
and Strelitzia
Strelitzia
Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. The genus is named after the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, birthplace of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. A common name of the genus is bird of paradise flower, because of a supposed resemblance of its...
.
Breeding and Behaviour
This species is monogamous. The oval nest is usually suspended, as with most sunbirds, or built in a bush. The female incubates one to three dark-blotched greenish eggs for two weeks. The chicks are fed by both parents until fledging; they will continue to return to the nest to roost. The Malachite Sunbird is often double-brooded, but may be parasitisedBrood parasite
Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same or different species to raise the young of the brood-parasite...
by Klaas's Cuckoo
Klaas's Cuckoo
The Klaas's Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia,...
or Red-chested Cuckoo
Red-chested Cuckoo
The Red-chested Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is a medium-sized bird , found in Africa south of the Sahara.-Distribution and habitat:...
.
It is territorial and aggressive when nesting, but highly gregarious when not breeding, forming flocks of more than 1000 birds.
The call is a loud tseep-tseep, and the male Malachite Sunbird has a twittering song, often accompanied by pointing its head upward and displaying the yellow pectoral tufts with its wings half open. Males also have an elaborate display flight.