From Opus

Alternative name: African Black Sunbird

Male
Photo by louisdup
Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Chalcomitra amethystina

Nectarinia amethystina

[edit] Identification

Length 13-14 cm, mass 11-19 cm.

Adult male: The forecrown is metallic green and the throat, carpal patch and rump are iridescent purple. Otherwise the plumage is jet black (fresh plumage) to brownish black. Appears all-black unless seen at close range in good light. There is no eclipse plumage in this species.

Adult female: Upper parts brown, eyebrow off-white, and underparts off-white, streaked brown.

Immature: Similar to the adult female, but with an orange to brown gape; the immature male has a purple throat.

Female
Photo by louisdup
Port Elizabeth, South Africa, June 2005

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa: Congo, DRC, Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia in the north to South Africa in the south.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is one of the seven sunbirds that have recently been moved into the genus Chalcomitra from the genus Nectarinia.

Chalcomitra amethystina has three subspecies:^[1]

• C. a. kirkii:

• Southern Somalia to south-eastern Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, eastern Zambia and Zimbabwe

• C. a. deminuta:

• Zaire to Angola, Zambia, northern Namibia and northern Botswana

• C. a. amethystina:

• Southern Mozambique and Botswana to Cape Province

Juvenile
Photo by louisdup
Port Elizabeth, South Africa, June 2005

[edit] Habitat

Woodland, forest edge, and gardens.

[edit] Behaviour

Seen singly, in pairs, or in loose groups.

[edit] Flight

Flight fast and jinking.

[edit] Diet

Feeds on nectar, juices of fruits, insects and spiders. Use of even good nectar sites is erratic; will fly long distances to isolated food sources.

[edit] Breeding

Monogamous and territorial. The nest is built by the female using spiders web to bind lichen, grass, down, bark and leaves into a pear-shaped structure suspended from a branch. One to three eggs are laid and incubated for 13-18 days by the female. Parasitised by Klaas's Cuckoo, African Emerald Cuckoo and Green-backed Honeyguide.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.

• List of references

[edit] External Links