Orange-breasted Sunbird

Appearance

As with other sunbirds the bill is long and decurved, that of the male being longer than that of the female. The bill, legs and feet are black. The eye is dark brown.

The head, throat and mantle of the male are bright metallic green. The rest of the upper parts are olive green. The upper breast is metallic violet and the lower breast is bright orange, fading to paler orange and yellow on the belly. The tail is long and blackish, with elongated central tail feathers, which extend some way, belong the other feathers.

The female has olive-greenish grey upperparts and olive yellowish underparts, paler on the belly. The wings and tail is blackish. The juvenile resembles the female.

The call is a twangy, weak ''ssharaynk'' or ''sskrang'', often repeated several times.

Status

This species is not seriously threatened, although it may be adversely affected by urbanisation, habitat conversion to agriculture, and fynbos fires.

Habitat

Obviously due to its restricted range within fynbos this sunbird is associated with Ericas, from which it takes nectar, insects and spiders. It breeds when the heath flowers, typically in May. The male defends its territory aggressively, attacking and chasing intruders.

This tame species is a common breeder across its limited range, and is an altitudinal migrant, moving to higher altitudes during the southern summer in search of flowers. It is gregarious when not breeding, forming flocks of up to 100 birds.

Reproduction

The Orange-breasted Sunbird breeds from February to November The nest is an oval of rootlets, fine leafy twigs and grass, bound together with spider webs and lined with brown protea fluff. It has a side top entrance, but does not have a covered porch.

Food

The Orange-breasted Sunbird subsists on flower nectar, insects and spiders.