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Tanzania, Zanzibar last of the Sunbirds - October 16 (1 Viewer)

lvcuer

Well-known member
The last of the October 16 Sunbirds - thanks to everyone who viewed and identified.
 

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Could you edit this post and your other posts to say exactly where you saw these birds?

The first bird in this post looks like male Superb Sunbird. Which should not be in Tanzania, and certainly not in Zanzibar.

And my guess for the second would be immature male Green-throated, which should also not be in Tanzania.

My guesses may be wrong, but Tanzania is a big place, so it would be helpful to people who want to help you if you said exactly where you saw these birds.

By the way, did you not buy a bird ID book, either before you went to Tanzania or after? And why not?
 
We spent 2 days at the Hideaway Resort, Nungwi, north end of the island of Zanzibar. Yes, bought a bird book but looking for confirmation from birders who know the avifauna. From posts, I am guessing the first bird is a Purple-breasted Sunbird - among the 8 species listed for Zanzibar Sunbirds. Other posts likely show juvenile or female birds, mostly harder to id than the males.
 
First bird is Marico Sunbird, the 2nd is a juvenile male, tougher. Bill looks short but this may be because juvenile, another Marico or Purple-throated Sunbird (not sure about the status in Zanzibar), last is juv male Scarlet-chested Sunbird.
 
According to 'Birds of East Africa', Marico is not in Zanzibar, but Purple-banded is (NB not Purple-breasted, which is nowhere near Zanzibar, or even less Purple-throated which would be a rare visitor to East Africa from the Phillipines). I think the pattern and colour in photos 1 and 2 fits Purple-banded better. But I wonder why - for either species - there is no green shoulder bar?
 
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According to 'Birds of East Africa', Marico is not in Zanzibar, but Purple-banded is (NB not Purple-breasted, which is nowhere near Zanzibar, or even less Purple-throated which would be a rare visitor to East Africa from the Phillipines). I think the pattern and colour in photos 1 and 2 fits Purple-banded better. But I wonder why - for either species - there is no green shoulder bar?

You are right McNara, I swapped in my memory Marico and Purple-banded Sunbird: I cannot rely on my memory after 5 years without visiting the area. Purple-banded is the default species and Marico is rare or absent, so most birds here are obviously Purple-banded.

Still our bird #1 is showing a bill rather long, and the breast band looks dull red (and wide enough) more than violet-purple, matching more Marico. I wouldn't there to claim a first Marico for Zanzibar on that photo though... prudently, I'll stick on Purple-banded.

The green shoulder is not seen all the time, it is an optical colour that appears only in some lights, and I think that bird has a worm mantle and wing coverts that can reduce or conceal the colour effect.
 
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