Alternative name: African Black Sunbird
- Chalcomitra amethystina
Nectarinia amethystina
Identification
Length 13-14 cm (5-5½ in), 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.
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa: Congo, DRC, Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia in the north to South Africa in the south.
Taxonomy
This is one of the seven sunbirds that have recently been moved into the genus Chalcomitra from the genus Nectarinia.
Subspecies
Chalcomitra amethystina has three subspecies:[1]
- C. a. kirkii:
- C. a. deminuta:
- C. a. amethystina:
- Southern Mozambique and Botswana to Cape Province
Habitat
Woodland, forest edge, and gardens.
Behaviour
Seen singly, in pairs, or in loose groups.
Flight
Flight fast and jinking.
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.
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.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Amethyst Sunbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 September 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Amethyst_Sunbird
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1