Bates's Sunbird

Appearance

Bates's sunbird is a very small dull green sunbird with a short, decurved bill a short tail and a yellowish belly. The male has dark olive upperparts, except for a vague pale supercilium, with paler greyer underparts with a pale buffy centre to the belly. The wings are dark brown with pale fringes and the tail is black with wide olive edges and tips to the outer tail feathers. There are long wispy yellow feathers on the sides of the breast, in the otherwise similar female these feathers are whiter and may be much reduced in length. They measure 9–10 cm in length and weigh 5.7–7g.

Naming

Its common name and Latin binomial commemorate George Latimer Bates , an American naturalist who traveled in West Africa.

Distribution

Bates's sunbird is sparsely present across the African tropical rainforest ; also on Bioko.

Habitat

Bates's sunbird is found in the canopy of trees in primary rainforest, also at forest edges, secondary growth and cultivated areas with tall trees.