Malachite sunbird

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Malachite sunbird
Malachite Sunbird on Leucospermum.jpg
Male in breeding plumage on pincushion protea
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Nectariniidae
Genus: Nectarinia
Species:
N. famosa
Binomial name
Nectarinia famosa
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms

Certhia famosaLinnaeus, 1766

The malachite sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) is a small nectarivorous bird found from the highlands of Ethiopia southwards to South Africa. They pollinate many flowering plants, particularly those with long corolla tubes, in the Fynbos.

Contents

Taxonomy

The malachite sunbird was formally described in 1766 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Certhia famosa. Linnaeus specified the type locality as the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. [2] [3] He based his account on "Le grimpereau à longue queue du Cap de Bonne Espérance" that had been described and illustrated in 1760 by French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson. [4] The specific epithet is from Latin famosus meaning "renowned" (from fama meaning "fame" or "repute"). [5]

The sunbirds are a group of small Old World passerine birds, and are placed within the family Nectariniidae, which is found across Africa, the Middle East and into South-east Asia. Also called green sugarbird.

The malachite sunbird has two subspecies. The nominate N. f. famosa occurs mainly in South Africa, Lesotho and western Eswatini, although its range just extends into southern Namibia and Zimbabwe. N. f. cupreonitens breeds in the highlands from Ethiopia south to northern Mozambique. [6]

Description

The breeding male malachite sunbird, which has very long central tail feathers, is 25 cm long, and the shorter-tailed female 15 cm. The adult male is metallic green when breeding, with blackish-green wings with small yellow pectoral patches. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the male's upperparts are brown apart from the green wings and tail, the latter retaining the elongated feathers. The underparts in eclipse plumage are yellow, flecked with green.

The female has brown upperparts and dull yellow underparts with some indistinct streaking on the breast. Her tail is square-ended. The juvenile resembles the female.

Habitat

Male in South Africa Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) 2.jpg
Male in South Africa
Female feeding Nectarinia famosa female.jpg
Female feeding
A breeding-plumage male feeding on Leonotis flower nectar. Nectarinia famosa (Malachite Sunbird).jpg
A breeding-plumage male feeding on Leonotis flower nectar.

This large sunbird is found in hilly fynbos (including protea stands as well as areas with aloes) and cool montane and coastal scrub, up to 2,800m altitude in South Africa. It also occurs in parks and gardens (often nesting within those located in the Highveld). It is resident, but may move downhill in winter.

This species, like most sunbirds, feeds mainly on nectar, although it will also take insects, especially when feeding young. This sunbird may hunt in a similar manner to a flycatcher, hawking for insect prey from a perch.

Most sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time. As a fairly large sunbird, the malachite sunbird is no exception. They have long thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to nectar feeding. Some plant species from which malachite sunbirds feed include many Aloe species, such as Aloe broomii , Aloe ferox and Aloe arborescens , and Protea species, such as Protea roupelliae as well as various other bird-pollinated plants such as Leonotis and Strelitzia . [7] It has been suggested that their behaviour of guarding flowering plants may have led to the selection and evolution of long-tubed flowers that would otherwise tend to be robbed (nectar taken but not pollinated) by short-billed sunbird species. [8]

Breeding and behaviour

This species is monogamous. [7] The oval nest is usually suspended, as with most sunbirds, or constructed inside a bush. The female incubates one to three dark-blotched, greenish eggs for two weeks. The chicks are fed by both parents until fledging time, and the chicks will for a time return to the nest to roost. The malachite sunbird is often double-brooded, and may be parasitised by Klaas's cuckoo or red-chested cuckoo. It is territorial and aggressive when nesting, but highly gregarious when not breeding, forming flocks of over 1,000 birds.

The call is a loud tseep-tseep, and the male malachite sunbird has a twittering song, often accompanied by pointing its head upward and displaying his yellow pectoral tufts with his wings half open. Males also have an elaborate display flight. It was found that male birds display their pectoral tufts almost continuously throughout the night, whilst asleep, and one hypothesis is that these function as eyespots to deter nocturnal predators. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Protea cynaroides</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea cynaroides, also called the king protea, is a flowering plant. It is a distinctive member of Protea, having the largest flower head in the genus. The species is also known as giant protea, honeypot or king sugar bush. It is widely distributed in the southwestern and southern parts of South Africa in the fynbos region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunbird</span> Family of birds

Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly in the males. Many species also have especially long tail feathers. Their range extends through most of Africa to the Middle East, South Asia, South-east Asia and southern China, to Indonesia, New Guinea and northern Australia. Species diversity is highest in equatorial regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugarbird</span> Genus of birds

The sugarbirds are a small genus, Promerops, and family, Promeropidae, of passerine birds, restricted to southern Africa. In general appearance and habits, they resemble large, long-tailed sunbirds or some of the Australian honeyeaters, but are not closely related to the former and are even more distantly related to the latter. They have brownish plumage, the long downcurved bill typical of passerine nectar feeders, and long tail feathers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beautiful sunbird</span> Species of bird

The beautiful sunbird, formerly placed in the genus Nectarinia, is a small passerine bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae. It is native to tropical Africa, its range extending from Senegal and Guinea in the west to Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya in the east. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the gorgeous sunbird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garden sunbird</span> Species of bird

The garden sunbird, previously known as the olive-backed sunbird, is a species of passerine bird in the family Nectariniidae that is found in the Philippines except on the Palawan island group. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with seven other species: the ornate sunbird, Palawan sunbird, Sahul sunbird, Tukangbesi sunbird, Flores Sea sunbird, South Moluccan sunbird and the Mamberamo sunbird. It is a small, brightly coloured bird with olive-green plumage on the wings and back with a bright yellow chest. It has a long downward-curved bill it uses for taking nectar and capturing insects. It is primarily nectarivorous, but will take insects and spiders, particularly when feeding chicks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple sunbird</span> Species of bird

The purple sunbird is a small bird in the sunbird family. It occurs in parts of the Arabian peninsula and South and Southeast Asia. It has a fast and direct flight and can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird but often perches at the base of flowers. It feeds mainly on nectar and insects, especially when feeding young. The males can appear all black in harsh sunlight but the purple iridescence is visible on closer observation or under good light conditions. Females are olive above and yellowish below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple-rumped sunbird</span> Species of bird

The purple-rumped sunbird is a sunbird endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. Like other sunbirds, they are small in size, feeding mainly on nectar but sometimes take insects, particularly when feeding young. They can hover for short durations but usually perch to lap nectar from flowers. They build a hanging pouch nest made up of cobwebs, lichens and plant material. Males are contrastingly coloured but females are olive above and yellow to buff below. Males are easily distinguished from the purple sunbird by the light coloured underside while females can be told apart from males by their whitish throats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crimson-backed sunbird</span> Species of bird

The crimson-backed sunbird or small sunbird is a sunbird endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Like other sunbirds, they feed mainly on nectar although they take insects, especially to feed their young. They are tiny birds that are resident and are found in forests but are particularly attracted to gardens at the edge of the forest where people grow suitable flower-bearing plants. They usually perch while taking nectar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loten's sunbird</span> Species of bird

Loten's sunbird, also known as the long-billed sunbird or maroon-breasted sunbird, is a sunbird endemic to peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Named after Joan Gideon Loten, who was the Dutch governor of colonial Ceylon, it is very similar to the purple sunbird that is found in the same areas and also tends to hover at flowers for nectar, but can be distinguished by the longer bill, the maroon band on the breast and brownish wings. Like other sunbirds, it is also insectivorous and builds characteristic hanging nests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape sugarbird</span> Species of bird

The Cape sugarbird is one of the eight bird species endemic to the Fynbos biome of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seychelles sunbird</span> Species of bird

The Seychelles sunbird is a small passerine from the sunbird family. It is named after the French explorer Jean-Jacques Dussumier. It is native to the Seychelles, where it is known as kolibri in Seychellois Creole. This bird is placed in the genus Cinnyris by some authorities and in Nectarinia by others. Although this bird has a limited range, it is described as common and has a stable population, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-breasted sunbird</span> Species of bird

The orange-breasted sunbird is a species of small, predominantly nectar-feeding bird that is endemic to the fynbos shrubland biome of southwestern South Africa. It is the only member of the genus Anthobaphes, in the family Nectariniidae, though it is sometimes placed in the genus Nectarinia. The birds are sexually dimorphic, with females being olive green while the males are orange to yellow on the underside with bright green, blue and purple on the head and neck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape weaver</span> Species of bird

The Cape weaver is a species of bird in the weaver family, Ploceidae, found in southern Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-winged starling</span> Species of bird

The red-winged starling is a bird of the starling family Sturnidae native to eastern Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape in South Africa. An omnivorous, generalist species, it prefers cliffs and mountainous areas for nesting, and has moved into cities and towns due to similarity to its original habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater double-collared sunbird</span> Species of bird

The greater double-collared sunbird is a small bird in the sunbird family. It was formerly placed in genus Nectarinia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Souimanga sunbird</span> Species of bird

The souimanga sunbird is a small passerine bird of the sunbird family, Nectariniidae. It is native to the islands of the western Indian Ocean where it occurs on Madagascar, the Aldabra Group and the Glorioso Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet-tufted sunbird</span> Species of bird

The scarlet-tufted sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectarinia of the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. It is also known as the red-tufted sunbird and the scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronze sunbird</span> Species of bird

The bronze sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is native to the Bié Plateau (Angola) and eastern Afromontane forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-winged sunbird</span> Species of bird

The golden-winged sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. Three subspecies are recognised. It is native to the Albertine Rift montane forests and East African montane forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurney's sugarbird</span> Species of bird

Gurney's sugarbird is a medium-sized passerine endemic to the mid- and high-altitude grassland velds in southern Africa. It belongs to the family Promeropidae, which contains one genus, Promerops, and two species. Gurney's sugarbird feeds on nectar from Protea bushes as well as on small insects. This bird is characterized by its long, graduated tail and decurved beak.

References

Notes
  1. BirdLife International (2018). "Nectarinia famosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T22717979A132114939. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22717979A132114939.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 187.
  3. Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1986). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 267.
  4. Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). Ornithologie, ou, Méthode Contenant la Division des Oiseaux en Ordres, Sections, Genres, Especes & leurs Variétés (in French and Latin). Vol. 3. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. pp. 647–649, Plate 34 Fig. 1. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen.
  5. Jobling, James A. "famosa". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  6. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Dippers, leafbirds, flowerpeckers, sunbirds". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Nectarinia famosa (Malachite sunbird)". Biodiversityexplorer.org. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  8. Geerts, S; Pauw, A (2009). "Hyper-specialization for long-billed bird pollination in a guild of South African plants: The Malachite Sunbird pollination syndrome". South African Journal of Botany. 75 (4): 699–706. doi: 10.1016/j.sajb.2009.08.001 .
  9. Wellmann, Andrea E.; Downs, Colleen T. (October 2010). "Nocturnal Pectoral Tuft Display in the Malachite Sunbird". African Zoology. 45 (2): 342–347. doi:10.3377/004.045.0214. S2CID   85597466.
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