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Outside the breeding season (October to February) the male take the eclipsed morph as it losses its color and long tail and start to resemble the female but with some black patches on the neck, which the female don’t have. | Outside the breeding season (October to February) the male take the eclipsed morph as it losses its color and long tail and start to resemble the female but with some black patches on the neck, which the female don’t have. | ||
==Distribution== | ==Distribution== | ||
| − | North-eastern [[Africa]] and the [[Arabian Peninsula]]: [[Egypt]], [[Sudan]], [[Chad]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Djibouti]], [[Somalia]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Yemen]], and [[Oman]]. | + | North-eastern [[Africa]] and the southern parts [[Arabian Peninsula]]: [[Egypt]], [[Sudan]], [[Chad]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Djibouti]], [[Somalia]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Yemen]], and [[Oman]]. |
==Taxonomy== | ==Taxonomy== | ||
Revision as of 15:13, 10 September 2009
- Hedydipna metallica
Anthreptes metallicus
Identification
The male in breeding session is 15 cm long, 5 cm for the fork shape tail, and has a metallic dark green head with dark green and blue-violet back while the under part are yellow. The female is less attractive with a yellow-brown upper parts and less vibrant yellow belly. Both have decurved bill known for nectar feeding birds.
Outside the breeding season (October to February) the male take the eclipsed morph as it losses its color and long tail and start to resemble the female but with some black patches on the neck, which the female don’t have.
Distribution
North-eastern Africa and the southern parts Arabian Peninsula: Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman.
Taxonomy
This is one of the four Sunbirds that have recently been moved to the genus Hedydipna from the genus Anthreptes.
The species is monotypic.
Habitat
Behaviour
Feeds on nectar and arthropods.
Starting from December both the male and female start to announce there presence with calls far from Twitter, but rather similar to little kittens calls. They keep on sending these calls which tend to get higher during the day as the sun gets higher in the sky, until the male complete its change to the breeding plumage, which is usually on the beginning of March, but this differs on each individual.
