- Cinnyris chalybeus
Nectarinia chalybea
Lesser Double-collared Sunbird
Identification
Length 12 cm, mass 8 g. Sexually dimorphic. Male: Head, back, rump, throat and upper breast iridecent green. Wings iridecent green with dark brown flight feathers. Upper tail coverts iridescent blue. Upper breast band very narrow and iridescent blue; lower breast band red. Lower breast and belly grey. Female: Grey-brown, with faint olive wash on mantle and wing coverts, and olive-yellow tinge on belly, flanks and vent. Tail brownish black.
Distribution
South Africa, Swaziland and extreme southern Namibia.
Taxonomy
Most of the Sunbirds (including this one) of the genus Nectarinia have recently been moved into the genus Cinnyris.
Recently split from Miombo Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris manoensis.
There are two subspecies: C. c. chalybeus, extreme southern Namibia south to the south-western Cape, east to the Fish River in the Eastern Cape; C. c. subalaris, from the Fish River north to the Soutpansberg.
Habitat
Fynbos and Karoo shrublands, woodland, forest, forest edge, gardens and plantations.
Behaviour
Forages at all levels in canopy, mainly for nectar, but also invertebrates.
References
- Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ & Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Robert's Birds of Southern Africa, 7th edition. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 0620340533
