Sunbird
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- This article is about the sunbird family of birds. There are separate articles about the Pontiac Sunbird car and Mozilla Sunbird calendar program.
| Sunbirds and Spiderhunters | ||||||||||
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| Missing image Yellow-bellied-Sunbird.jpg Image:Yellow-bellied-Sunbird.jpg Female Yellow-bellied Sunbird nesting. | ||||||||||
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Many: see text |
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are very small passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time.
Although they are completely unrelated, the sunbirds find counterparts in the hummingbirds of the Americas and the honeyeaters of Australia. The resemblances are due to convergent evolution due to the similar nectar-feeding lifestyle.
The sunbirds are tropical species, with representatives from Africa to Australasia; however, the greatest variety of species is in Africa where the group probably arose. Most species are sedentary or short-distance seasonal migrants.
Like the hummingbirds, they are strongly sexually dimorphic, with the males usually brilliantly plumaged in metallic colours. Sunbirds have long thin down-curved bills and brush tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. Up to three eggs are laid in a purse-shaped suspended nest.
- Family: Nectariniidae
- Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Chalcoparia singalensis
- Scarlet-tufted Sunbird, Deleornis fraseri
- Grey-headed Sunbird, Deleornis axillaris
- Plain-backed Sunbird, Anthreptes reichenowi
- Anchieta's Sunbird, Anthreptes anchietae
- Plain Sunbird, Anthreptes simplex
- Plain-throated Sunbird, Anthreptes malacensis
- Red-throated Sunbird, Anthreptes rhodolaema
- Mouse-brown Sunbird, Anthreptes gabonicus
- Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Anthreptes longuemarei
- Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird, Anthreptes orientalis
- Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird, Anthreptes neglectus
- Violet-tailed Sunbird, Anthreptes aurantium
- Little Green Sunbird, Anthreptes seimundi
- Green Sunbird, Anthreptes rectirostris
- Banded Sunbird, Anthreptes rubritorques
- Collared Sunbird, Hedydipna collaris
- Pygmy Sunbird, Hedydipna platura
- Nile Valley Sunbird, Hedydipna metallica
- Amani Sunbird, Hedydipna pallidigaster
- Purple-naped Sunbird, Hypogramma hypogrammicum
- Reichenbach's Sunbird, Anabathmis reichenbachii
- Principe Sunbird, Anabathmis hartlaubii
- Newton's Sunbird, Anabathmis newtonii
- Sao Tome Sunbird, Dreptes thomensis
- Orange-breasted Sunbird, Anthobaphes violacea
- Green-headed Sunbird, Cyanomitra verticalis
- Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Cyanomitra cyanolaema
- Blue-headed Sunbird, Cyanomitra alinae
- Cameroon Sunbird, Cyanomitra oritis
- Bannerman's Sunbird, Cyanomitra bannermani
- Eastern Olive Sunbird, Cyanomitra olivacea
- Western Olive Sunbird, Cyanomitra obscura
- Mouse-colored Sunbird, Cyanomitra veroxii
- Buff-throated Sunbird, Chalcomitra adelberti
- Carmelite Sunbird, Chalcomitra fuliginosa
- Green-throated Sunbird, Chalcomitra rubescens
- Amethyst Sunbird, Chalcomitra amethystina
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Chalcomitra senegalensis
- Hunter's Sunbird, Chalcomitra hunteri
- Socotra Sunbird, Chalcomitra balfouri
- Purple-rumped Sunbird, Leptocoma zeylonica
- Crimson-backed Sunbird, Leptocoma minima
- Copper-throated Sunbird, Leptocoma calcostetha
- Purple-throated Sunbird, Leptocoma sperata
- Black Sunbird, Leptocoma sericea
- Bocage's Sunbird, Nectarinia bocagii
- Purple-breasted Sunbird, Nectarinia purpureiventris
- Tacazze Sunbird, Nectarinia tacazze
- Bronze Sunbird, Nectarinia kilimensis
- Golden-winged Sunbird, Nectarinia reichenowi
- Red-tufted Sunbird, Nectarinia johnstoni
- Malachite Sunbird, Nectarinia famosa
- Olive-bellied Sunbird, Cinnyris chloropygius
- Tiny Sunbird, Cinnyris minullus
- Miombo Sunbird, Cinnyris manoensis
- Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris chalybeus
- Neergaard's Sunbird, Cinnyris neergaardi
- Stuhlmann's Sunbird, Cinnyris stuhlmanni
- Prigogine's Sunbird, Cinnyris prigoginei
- Montane Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris ludovicensis
- Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris preussi
- Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris afer
- Regal Sunbird, Cinnyris regius
- Rockefeller's Sunbird, Cinnyris rockefelleri
- Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris mediocris
- Moreau's Sunbird, Cinnyris moreaui
- Beautiful Sunbird, Cinnyris pulchellus
- Loveridge's Sunbird, Cinnyris loveridgei
- Mariqua Sunbird, Cinnyris mariquensis
- Shelley's Sunbird, Cinnyris shelleyi
- Congo Sunbird, Cinnyris congensis
- Red-chested Sunbird, Cinnyris erythrocerca
- Black-bellied Sunbird, Cinnyris nectarinioides
- Purple-banded Sunbird, Cinnyris bifasciatus
- Tsavo Sunbird, Cinnyris tsavoensis
- Violet-breasted Sunbird, Cinnyris chalcomelas
- Pemba Sunbird, Cinnyris pembae
- Orange-tufted Sunbird, Cinnyris bouvieri
- Palestine Sunbird, Cinnyris oseus
- Shining Sunbird, Cinnyris habessinicus
- Splendid Sunbird, Cinnyris coccinigaster
- Johanna's Sunbird, Cinnyris johannae
- Superb Sunbird, Cinnyris superbus
- Rufous-winged Sunbird, Cinnyris rufipennis
- Oustalet's Sunbird, Cinnyris oustaleti
- White-breasted Sunbird, Cinnyris talatala
- Variable Sunbird, Cinnyris venustus
- Dusky Sunbird, Cinnyris fuscus
- Ursula's Sunbird, Cinnyris ursulae
- Bates' Sunbird, Cinnyris batesi
- Copper Sunbird, Cinnyris cupreus
- Purple Sunbird, Cinnyris asiaticus
- Olive-backed Sunbird, Cinnyris jugularis
- Apricot-breasted Sunbird, Cinnyris buettikoferi
- Flame-breasted Sunbird, Cinnyris solaris
- Souimanga Sunbird, Cinnyris sovimanga
- Seychelles Sunbird, Cinnyris dussumieri
- Madagascar Sunbird, Cinnyris notatus
- Humblot's Sunbird, Cinnyris humbloti
- Anjouan Sunbird, Cinnyris comorensis
- Mayotte Sunbird, Cinnyris coquerellii
- Long-billed Sunbird, Cinnyris lotenius
- Gray-hooded Sunbird, Aethopyga primigenius
- Mount Apo Sunbird, Aethopyga boltoni
- Lina's Sunbird, Aethopyga linaraborae
- Flaming Sunbird, Aethopyga flagrans
- Metallic-winged Sunbird, Aethopyga pulcherrima
- Elegant Sunbird, Aethopyga duyvenbodei
- Lovely Sunbird, Aethopyga shelleyi
- Gould's Sunbird, Aethopyga gouldiae
- White-flanked Sunbird, Aethopyga eximia
- Green-tailed Sunbird, Aethopyga nipalensis
- Fork-tailed Sunbird, Aethopyga christinae
- Black-throated Sunbird, Aethopyga saturata
- Western Crimson Sunbird, Aethopyga vigorsii
- Crimson Sunbird, Aethopyga siparaja
- Scarlet Sunbird, Aethopyga mystacalis
- Temminck's Sunbird, Aethopyga temminckii
- Fire-tailed Sunbird, Aethopyga ignicauda
- Thick-billed Spiderhunter, Arachnothera crassirostris
- Spectacled Spiderhunter, Arachnothera flavigaster
- Long-billed Spiderhunter, Arachnothera robusta
- Little Spiderhunter, Arachnothera longirostra
- Yellow-eared Spiderhunter, Arachnothera chrysogenys
- Naked-faced Spiderhunter, Arachnothera clarae
- Gray-breasted Spiderhunter, Arachnothera modesta
- Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter, Arachnothera affinis
- Streaked Spiderhunter, Arachnothera magna
- Whitehead's Spiderhunter, Arachnothera juliaefr:Nectariniidae