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Difference between revisions of "Nile Valley Sunbird" - BirdForum Opus

 
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[[Image:NVS99a.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male in breeding plumage<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|ammadoux|ammadoux}}<br />Jeddah, [[Saudi Arabia]], May 2010]]
 
;[[:Category:Hedydipna|Hedydipna]] metallica
 
;[[:Category:Hedydipna|Hedydipna]] metallica
 
''Anthreptes metallicus''  
 
''Anthreptes metallicus''  
[[Image:Nile_Valley_Sunbird.jpg|thumb|450px|right|Male Nile Valley Sunbird in eclipse plumage<br />Photo by Ingo<br>Crocodile Island, Luxor, Egypt]]
 
[[Image:P1020454_NileValleySunbird_wildvibes_Luxor.jpg|thumb|450px|right|Male Nile Valley Sunbird in breeding plumage<br>
 
Photo by wildvibes<br>
 
Luxor, Egypt]]
 
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
The breeding plumage of the male is iridescent royal blue and purple above, and the belly is yellow.
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[[Image:NVS104a.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|ammadoux|ammadoux}}<br />Jeddah, [[Saudi Arabia]], June 2010]]
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Male 17 cm(6¾ in), female 9 cm (3½ in)<br />
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*Decurved bill
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'''Male''' breeding: 5 cm tail
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*Fork shape tail
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*Metallic dark green head with dark green
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*Blue-violet back
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*Yellow underparts<br />
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Non-breeding
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*Loses long tail
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*Plumage similar to female, but has some black patches (lacking in female)
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'''Female'''
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*Yellow-brown upper parts
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*Less vibrant yellow belly<br />
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
North-eastern [[Africa]] and the [[Arabian Peninsula]]: [[Egypt]], [[Sudan]], [[Chad]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Djibouti]], [[Somalia]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Yemen]], and [[Oman]].
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[[Image:20180223 144.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|WorldInFocus|WorldInFocus}}<br />Taif, [[Saudi Arabia]], February 2018]]
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Breeds from [[Egypt]] (primarily the Nile Valley) to [[Sudan]], northeastern [[South Sudan]], [[Eritrea]], northern [[Ethiopia]], [[Djibouti]], northwestern [[Somalia]], southwestern [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Yemen]], and southwestern [[Oman]]; nonbreeding visitor to northern [[Egypt]] (Cairo) and northern eastern [[Somalia]].
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==Taxonomy==
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This is a [[Dictionary_M-O#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
  
==Taxonomy==
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This is one of the four Sunbirds that have recently been moved to the genus ''Hedydipna'' from the genus ''Anthreptes''.
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==
 
==Habitat==
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[[Image:20190329 060.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo &copy; by {{user|WorldInFocus|WorldInFocus}}<br />Taif, [[Saudi Arabia]], March 2019]]
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A familiar bird in the gardens  of Jeddah and Taif, Khmis mushayt and Abha western Saudi Arabia.
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In dry acacia scrubs in wadies and plane of eastern cost of the red sea and at juniper woodlands at the high altitude (2500m) mountens of Asir and Yemen.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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====Diet====
 
Feeds on nectar and arthropods.
 
Feeds on nectar and arthropods.
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====Vocalisation====
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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, some may reach this plumage earlier (two weeks)
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==Gallery==
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Click on photo for larger image
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<gallery>
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Image:Nile_Valley_Sunbird.jpg|Male in eclipse plumage<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Ingo|Ingo}}<br />Crocodile Island, Luxor, [[Egypt]]
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Image:IMG 08016.JPG|Transition plumage<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Terry+Foss|Terry Foss}}<br />Hurghada, [[Egypt]], February 2019
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</gallery>
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug18}}#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Feb 2018)
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{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
{{GSearch|Hedydipna+metallica Use "Hedydipna metallica" to }}
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{{GSearch|"Hedydipna metallica" {{!}} "Anthreptes metallicus" {{!}} "Nile Valley Sunbird"}}
{{GSearch|Anthreptes+metallicus Use "Anthreptes metallicus" to }}
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{{GS-checked}}1
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<br />
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<br />
 +
 
 
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Hedydipna]]
 
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Hedydipna]]

Latest revision as of 19:39, 1 April 2023

Male in breeding plumage
Photo © by ammadoux
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 2010
Hedydipna metallica

Anthreptes metallicus

Identification

Female
Photo © by ammadoux
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 2010

Male 17 cm(6¾ in), female 9 cm (3½ in)

  • Decurved bill

Male breeding: 5 cm tail

  • Fork shape tail
  • Metallic dark green head with dark green
  • Blue-violet back
  • Yellow underparts

Non-breeding

  • Loses long tail
  • Plumage similar to female, but has some black patches (lacking in female)

Female

  • Yellow-brown upper parts
  • Less vibrant yellow belly

Distribution

Juvenile
Photo © by WorldInFocus
Taif, Saudi Arabia, February 2018

Breeds from Egypt (primarily the Nile Valley) to Sudan, northeastern South Sudan, Eritrea, northern Ethiopia, Djibouti, northwestern Somalia, southwestern Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and southwestern Oman; nonbreeding visitor to northern Egypt (Cairo) and northern eastern Somalia.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[1].

This is one of the four Sunbirds that have recently been moved to the genus Hedydipna from the genus Anthreptes.

Habitat

Photo © by WorldInFocus
Taif, Saudi Arabia, March 2019

A familiar bird in the gardens of Jeddah and Taif, Khmis mushayt and Abha western Saudi Arabia. In dry acacia scrubs in wadies and plane of eastern cost of the red sea and at juniper woodlands at the high altitude (2500m) mountens of Asir and Yemen.

Behaviour

Diet

Feeds on nectar and arthropods.

Vocalisation

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, some may reach this plumage earlier (two weeks)

Gallery

Click on photo for larger image

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Feb 2018)

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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