From Opus

Cinnyris osea

Nectarinia osea

Photo by rony_roshtov
Location: Jerusalem, Israel

[edit] Identification

8 to 12 cm long with a wingspan of 14 to 16 cm. Males have an average weight of 7.6 g and females weigh around 6.8 g. Black, downward curving, long bill, orange tufts at the sides of the breasts; females and juveniles are grey brown above, pale underparts.

It has a high, fast, jingling song and various calls including a harsh alarm call.

[edit] Distribution

Africa (Egypt to the Democratic Republic of Congo), the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is one of the many Sunbirds that have recently been moved to the genus Cinnyris from the genus Nectarinia.

There are two subspecies: Cinnyris osea osea from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman; and Cinnyris osea decorsei from Chad, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan.

[edit] Habitat

Dry woodland, scrub, wadis, savannas, orchards and gardens and is common in towns in some areas.

[edit] Behaviour

The diet consists mainly of insects and nectar. The tongue is long and brush-tipped to extract nectar from flowers. The birds usually feed while perched beside a flower but they are also capable of hovering.

The nest is made of grass, leaves and plant material held together with spiders' webs and hair, lined with feathers and wool, and is suspended from a branch. 1-3 eggs are laid, which are incubated for 13-14 days. The young fledge after 14 to 21 days.

[edit] References

Lepage D. 2007. Avibase. Search for "Nectarinia osea" downloaded 11 October 2007.

[edit] External Links