From Opus

Photo by Alan Manson
Location: Cavern Resort, KwaZulu-Natal, Drakensberg, South Africa

Promerops gurneyi

[edit] Identification

Length 23-29 cm (tail 10-17 cm), mass 32-38 g, males larger than females, with longer tails. Crown and breast russet, back and malar stripe brown, back streaked. Cheek and throat white, belly white streaked dusky, vent and undertail coverts yellow.

[edit] Distribution

	Eastern South Africa, western Swaziland and highlands of eastern Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique.
	Legend • P. g. ardens; year-round • P. g. gurneyi; year-round Maps/Texts consulted1,2

[edit] Taxonomy

One of two species in the family Promeropidae. The Cape Sugarbird Promerops cafer is also endemic to southern Africa.

Two subspecies¹: P. g. gurneyi from South Africa and Swaziland; P. g. ardens from highlands of eastern Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique, breast brighter than nominate race, lower back greener, and cheeks darker.

[edit] Habitat

Montane scrub with Protea, Aloe and Strelitzia species. Frequents Protea farms.

[edit] Behaviour

Solitary or in pairs, with groups at rich food sources. Aggressive, especially to others of the same species, and to Malachite Sunbirds. Feeds on nectar (especially that of Protea species), arthropods, and some pollen. Moves locally up to 37 km in response to flowering of food plants.

[edit] References

1. Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
2. Clements, JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019

• List of references

[edit] External Links