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Sunbird, yes... but which one? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Nick Robinson
- Start date
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Other sunbirds in the area are Malachite, Orange-breasted, Amethyst, Greater & Southern Double-collared, the females of which can probably be eliminated through various characteristics such as size, breast markings, and breast colour, which usually shows at least a tinge of yellow. Yours could indeed be a female Dusky - but a female sunbird, fluttering in isolation in the trees and bushes, can be a tricky ID. Although I've been birding for forty years I still frequently list female sunbird sightings as 'uncertain'. And that is as far as I am prepared to go. Your bird seems to tick the boxes....but I have always been wary of female sunbirds!
Best wishes,
Dave
It is unlikely to be a Dusky as Kirstenbosch is quite far out of range for Dusky.
Kirstenbosch is also a little too far west of normal range for Greater Double Collared, although they do sometimes pop up in the area.
The white eyebrow suggests a F Amethyst; Amethysts were very rare in KB but are becoming more common.
Kirstenbosch is also a little too far west of normal range for Greater Double Collared, although they do sometimes pop up in the area.
The white eyebrow suggests a F Amethyst; Amethysts were very rare in KB but are becoming more common.
