Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary
Purple-Collared Woodstars are known from the western side of the Andes mountains (in lowland elevations) in the Northern half of South America
Physical Description: Purple-Collared Woodstars, being hummingbirds, are extremely small dinosaurs, about 7.5 and 8 centimeters long and a little more than 2 grams in weight. Both sexes have green backs, but beyond that they look almost nothing alike. Males have long, curved bills, with blue throats and a violet stripe underneath. The rest of the belly is white. Their wings have black tips and their tails are V-shaped. The females, on the other hand, have less curve to their beaks; their bellies and under-throat are orange, and they have orange tips to their wings. They also have more rounded tails. Juveniles look like the females until they reach sexual maturity, where they either stay like that or develop the adult male plumage.
Diet: These hummingbirds feed upon nectar from a variety of flowers (including cacti flowers), as well as some insects.
By Hector Ceballos-Lascurain
Behavior: Purple-Collared Woodstars follow consistent routes back and forth from flower to flower, consistent in where they go and constantly on the move. Like other hummingbirds, they move their wings extremely fast in order to hover at the flower and get nectar with their long curved bills. They do rest occasionally, to bathe and sleep, but they are on the move more often than not. That being said, they do not seem to migrate, but do go up and down the altitude levels of the mountains following the blooming of the flowers. Males will fly in large semi-circles around the females, making twittering sounds at the top of the arc and making more trumpet sounds at the end of the arc. They also make chittering calls to one another while moving around, and chase flies while making different tweets. They breed from March through June closer to the equator, and more south they breed from June through October. They make nests out of plants and spider webs, placed in thin branches a few meters off of the ground. These hummingbirds lay two eggs which are incubated by the females for two weeks. The chicks are black and grey, and fledge after three weeks. They begin breeding at two years of age.
By Arthur Grosset
Ecosystem: Purple-Collared Woodstars live in coastal scrub and the open woodland from the lowlands up to 3000 meters high in the Andes mountains, and they do not venture into more rainforested territory. They prefer the drier ecosystems for their right types of flowers.
Other: Purple-Collared Woodstars, thankfully, are not threatened with extinction and are very common in their range; they are also very adaptable to human-created habitats.
~ By Meig Dickson
Sources Under the Cut
Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.
Schuchmann, K.L. & Boesman, P. (2019). Purple-collared Woodstar (Myrtis fanny). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
I’m trying to work on a project....lorikeets are annoying, lol. Also, being Nectarivores they lick everything. Lorikeets are annoying and weird birds, but cute and worth saving.
Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary
Snowcaps are known primarily from Central America
Physical Description: Snowcaps are very small birds - being hummingbirds! They range between 6 and 6.5 centimeters in length, making them only a tad bigger than the smallest dinosaurs of all, the Bee Hummingbirds! All sexes are iridescent - brilliantly shiny and colorful. The males are red, with black wings and a black face; while the females are green and blue with red tails, black wings, and white bellies. They have long, narrow, pointed beaks, that are black in color. They, like other hummingbirds, have very tiny feet, that are rarely used. Their wings are short and triangular, built for hovering, as in all other Hummingbirds. They are named for the white patches on the foreheads of the males!
Diet: Like other hummingbirds, they primarily eat nectar - specifically the nectar of small flowers on trees and shrubs. They will supplement their diet with insects as well.
By Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, CC BY 2.0
Behavior: Snowcaps spend most of their time hovering around flowers, staying aloft in the air in order to reach into the flower with their beaks and pull out nectar. Males will often defend their food very territorial, but it will run away from larger hummingbirds. They make very soft, warbling melodies, as well as more high-pitched zipping and buzzy noises when fighting each other. They do not tend to migrate, but will go up and down from highlands to lowlands depending on the breeding or nonbreeding season. They tend to breed during the early wet season or late dry season, with the males singing soft warbles on the forest edge to attract mates. They make tiny cups of tree-fern scales, using moss and lichen to bind up the cup - which is hung a few meters up into the tree. Two eggs are laid in the clutch, and the female does most of the incubation for about two weeks. She then feeds the young regurgitated nectar.
Ecosystem: Snowcap hummingbirds live on forest edges and in tropical rainforest, frequenting the canopy and subcanopy (when male) and the understory when female. They rarely ascend into higher elevations.
Other: These hummingbirds are not threatened with extinction, remaining very common throughout its range even though deforestation affects some habitats.
~ By Meig Dickson
Sources Under the Cut
Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.
Kistler, Ethan; Schulenberg, Thomas S (2013). "Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata)". Neotropical Birds Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Stiles, F.G. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Greater Double-Collared Sunbird by Derek Keats, CC BY-SA 2.0
Referred Species: C. chloropygius (Olive-Bellied Sunbird), C. minullus (Tiny Sunbird), C. manoensis (Eastern Miombo Sunbird), C. gertrudis (Western Miombo Sunbird), C. chalybeus (Southern Double-Collared Sunbird), C. neergaardi (Neergaard’s Sunbird), C. stuhlmanni (Rwenzori Double-Collared Sunbird), C. whytei (Whyte’s Double-Collared Sunbird), C. prigoginei (Prigogine’s Double-Collared Sunbird), C. ludovicensis (Ludwig’s Double-Collared Sunbird), C. reichenowi (Northern Double-Collared Sunbird), C. afer (Greater Double-Collared Sunbird), C. regius (Regal Sunbird), C. rockefelleri (Rockefeller’s Sunbird), C. mediocris (Eastern Double-Collared Sunbird), C. usambaricus (Usambara Double-Collared Sunbird), C. fuelleborni (Forest Double-Collared Sunbird), C. moreaui (Moreau’s Sunbird), C. pulchellus (Beautiful Sunbird), C. loveridgei (Loveridge’s Sunbird), C. mariquensis (Marico Sunbird), C. shelleyi (Shelly’s sunbird), C. hofmanni (Hofmann’s Sunbird), C. congensis (Congo Sunbird), C. erythrocerca (Red-Chested Sunbird), C. nectarinioides (Black-Bellied Sunbird), C. bifasciatus (Purple-Banded Sunbird), C. tsavoensis (Tsavo Sunbird), C. chalcomelas (Violet-Breasted Sunbird), C. pembae (Pemba Sunbird), C. bouvieri (Orange-Tufted Sunbird), C. oseus (Palestine Sunbird), C. habessinicus (Shining Sunbird), C. coccingaser (Splendid Sunbird), C. johannae (Johanna’s Sunbird), C. superbus (Superb Sunbird), C. rufipennis (Rufous-Winged Sunbird), C. oustaleti (Oustalet’s Sunbird), C. talatala (White-Bellied Sunbird), C. venustus (Variable Sunbird), C. fuscus (Dusky Sunbird), C. ursulae (Ursula’s Sunbird), C. batesi (Bates’s Sunbird), C. cupreus (Copper Sunbird), C. asiaticus (Purple Sunbird), C. jugularis (Olive-Backed Sunbird), C. buettikoferi (Apricot-Breasted Sunbird), C. solaris (Flame-Breasted Sunbird), S. sovimanga (Souimanga Sunbird), S. abbotti (Abbott’s Sunbird), C. dussumieri (Seychelles Sunbird), S. notatus (Malagasy Green Sunbird), C. humbloti (Humblot’s Sunbird), C. comorensis (Anjouan sunbird), C. coquerellii (Mayotte Sunbird), C. lotenius (Loten’s Sunbird)
Beautiful Double-Collared Sunbird by Dan Strickland, in the Public Domain
Status: Extant, Endangered - Least Concern
Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary
The double-collared sunbirds are known from a large range of Africa, Madagascar, the Middle East, Southern Asia, and the Pacific
Physical Description: The Double-Collared Sunbirds are a group of small, very beautifully colored birds with distinctive body shapes - they are fairly squat, usually just short tails and long legs, and most importantly, long curved beaks. They also have very short wings, giving them the ability to fly fast and even hover. This makes them, on a superficial level, very similar in appearance to the very distantly related hummingbirds. Still, they aren’t quite as small as hummingbirds - ranging between 9 and 19 centimeters in length. In general they are very similar in color - with dark bodies and shiny patches of greens, purples, blues, and reds on their throats and chests. The females are usually duller, more of an olive green or light brown all over their bodies. The different species will modify this pattern, some with longer tails, others with more purple or green, or even blue patterns - making this genus a smorgasbord of variety. Many males will even switch back and forth between more dull plumage and iridescent feathers based on the season! They are given their name for a fringe of their feathers being brightly colored, giving them a double-collared appearance.
Regal Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
Diet: The Double-Collared Sunbirds primarily feed upon nectar, though many species will also eat insects when necessary.
Marico Sunbird by Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0
Behavior: Unlike hummingbirds, which entirely hover while feeding, the Double-Collared Sunbirds will hover to get into position, and then use their long perching feet to grab onto branches to anchor themselves during feeding. When not getting nectar out of flowers, they will forage in small groups on branches and reach around with their long beaks to grab insects. While foraging, they make very short song calls, with fast rising and falling notes, as well as warbles. They will also call to each other with more harsh chirps, which vary from species to species. Many will make “squibble” calls, a common motif found among sunbirds, which can draw out into a further trill at the end.
Southern Double-Collared Sunbird by Mike Goulding, CC BY-SA 3.0
Double-Collared Sunbirds will lay their eggs based on the flow of the wet season, so it varies wildly from species to species and from population to population. They are primarily monogamous, breeding with one partner each season or potentially over their whole lives. Nests are usually made of grass, bark, and leaves, lined with feathers and wool and more plants, usually nestled onto a branch of a bush or a palm. They lay between 1 and 3 eggs, which are usually ovular and fairly monochromatic in color. The females almost exclusively incubate the eggs, which can be parasitized by Cuckoos and Honeyguides. Both parents will feed the young. They probably stay in the nest for two more weeks, and can live for nearly a decade in the case of some species. Migration isn’t extensive amongst these Sunbirds, but it does occur occasionally, especially between elevations and in response to the movements of water and the seasons.
Shining Sunbird by Tore, CC BY-SA 2.0
Ecosystem: The Double-Collared Sunbirds are essentially found wherever there are flowers to feed from and insects to glean - various kinds of forests, gardens, savanna, coastal thickets, mangroves, mature forests, mountains, plateaus, Miombo Woodland, gardens, grassland, and more. They are fed upon by lizards, cats, mongooses, and many other predators in their habitats.
By Alon Friedman, in the Public Domain
Other: Only a few species of this genus are considered threatened with extinction at this time, mainly due to having very limited natural ranges. Beyond this, the Sunbirds are utterly fascinating due to being a clear example of convergent evolution - they are almost identical to Hummingbirds, but from the Perching/Songbird group, and thus extremely different. This is clear in the Double-Collared genus, where many varieties are brilliantly colored in ways very similar to the distantly related Hummingbirds.
Olive-Bellied Sunbird by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0
Species Differences:
The Olive-Bellied Sunbird is distinct for literally being a rainbow of colors, with a green back, red chest, yellow underwing stripe, and blue upper chest stripe. They also have large bills than other similarly-colored varieties. These birds live in central Africa, and are more prone to feeding on insects than other members of the genus.
Tiny Sunbird by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Tiny Sunbird is very similar in appearance to the Olive-Bellied species, but with more blue undertones in the tail region. In addition, they are also significantly smaller. They do, however, have overlapping ranges.
Eastern Miombo Sunbird by Paul van Giersbergen
Eastern Miombo sunbirds have similar blue stripes but no real yellowish patches, and more blackish backs than the previously discussed species. They also live on the easthern coast of Africa, rather than in the central portion of the continent.
Western Miombo Sunbird by Jacques Erard
The Western Miombo Sunbird is essentially identical to the former species, but with a shorter bill. They are found in Tanzania across to Angola, also in the Miombo forests.
Southern Double-Collared Sunbird By Lip Kee Yap, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Southern Double-Collared Sunbird has an especially distinctive red patch, which almost glows with color compared to its relatives. They live in South Africa, and will move up and down the valley based on the distribution of flower growth. These are especially fast birds of the species.
Neergaard’s Sunbird by Markus Lilje
Neergaard’s Sunbird has a black rump in addition to back and wingtips, making it very visually distinctive; it also has a very short beak compared to other species. It has a very limited range and small population within South Africa and Mozambique, making it, sadly, near threatened with extinction.
Rwenzori Double-Collared Sunbird by Auf
The Rwenzori Double-Collared Sunbird is especially limited in its range, found only in tropical dry forests in Central Africa. Surprisingly, it isn’t threatened with extinction. It has many distinctive blue patches on its wings, as well as around its neck, and is quite large for this genus of birds.
Whyte’s Double-Collared Sunbird by Nik Borrow
Whyte’s Double-Collared Sunbird is a more dubious genus, possibly a part of the Montane Double-Collared Sunbird Genus. However, phylogenetic research does indicate it should be split out. It seems to be extensively threatened with habitat loss, and is more distinctively blue than other species.
Prigogine’s Double-Collared Sunbird is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is distinctive from other Sunbirds in living primarily in the highlands of said country. It is also nearly threatened with extinction due to its limited range.
Ludwig's Double-Collared Sunbird by Dubi Shapiro
Ludwig’s, otherwise known as the Montane, Double-Collared Sunbird is present within a limited range in Angola, though it is also found in Malawi and Tanzania. This species looks similar to many of the others we’ve seen here, though with a lighter blue collar and a shorter beak. It is not threatened with extinction, and is found in many locations of high elevation.
By Faresh, in the Public Domain
The Greater Double-Collarred Sunbird matches the pattern of the previous species, though it is much more fecund than its relatives, able to produce multiple broods per season. They are found in South Africa, primarily in more open habitats, and thus they will move up and down the mountains based on the growth of the flowers.
Northern Double-Collared Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
Northern Double-Collared Sunbirds differ from the last few species in having a brown body rather than a grey-er one, though otherwise it is quite identical. It lives mainly in central Africa, in a fairly limited range, but despite this it is not threatened with extinction. They especially favor mountain forest.
Regal Sunbird by Aviceda, CC BY-SA 3.0
Regal Sunbirds finally break the pattern, with completely yellow rumps and red feathers on their tails. This makes them stand out even more than other sunbirds in this genus. Found in tropical forests and mountain forests in Central Africa, it has an extraordinarily large range.
Rockefeller’s Sunbird is like the Regal Sunbird in being more colored over its body, but it is red all over, rather than yellow. Found in a very limited range in the Congo, it is sadly vulnerable to extinction at this time and is heavily threatened by habitat loss.
Eastern Double-Collared Sunbird by Nigel Voaden, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Eastern Double-Collared Sunbird returns to the pattern of the other sunbirds in terms of appearance, and differs mainly in the males taking a large part in the building of nests. They are common throughout Kenya, and prefers cooler weather.
Usambara Double-Collared Sunbird by M. P. Goodey
The Usambara Double-Collared Sunbird has similar coloration to many of these, but with a somewhat longer bill, and blue undertones underneath the wings. They are near threned, despite being fairly common, due to only occurring in ten separate locations. As such, little is known about its specific behavior.
Forest Double-Collared Sunbird by Roland Bischoff
The Forest Double-Collared Sunbird is especially distinct because it isn’t as brilliantly colored - instead of being bright green, the males are more of a duller green all over their heads and shoulders. They have lower songs than other Sunbirds, and time their breeding for the availability of insects.
Moreau's Sunbird by Nik Borrow
Moreau’s Sunbird is similarly duller in color, though it makes a more high pitched sound than a lower pitched one. They are considered near-threatened due to restricted ranges across central Africa.
Beautiful Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Beautiful Sunbird is one of the larger species in the genus and certainly earns its name, with brilliant green and blue coloration all over its back and wings, and a bright red patch on its chest. It is found in a wide variety of habitats just below the Saharan desert with high population levels and, as such, it isn’t considered endangered.
Loveridge’s Sunbird by Nik Borrow
Loveridge’s Sunbird is another yellow-bodied variety, this time with a more brown back color; with a limited mountain range in Tanzania, it is considered endangered at this time. It is mostly threatened with habitat loss, as it mainly inhabits tropical mountain forests.
Mariqua Sunbird by Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Marico or Mariqua Sunbirds are also especially green, much like the Beautiful Sunbird. It is black in other locations of its body to counter that extra green and blue - ness. They are more nomadic than other species, moving erratically over its range in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Uganda, periodically abandoning droughts as they show up.
Shelley's Sunbird by Maans Booysen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Shelley’s Sunbird is another especially green species, with blue undertones in the rump region. The females are somewhat distinctive too, with brown spotting and yellow stripes across the chest. They are found mainly across Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia, and aren’t considered threatened with extinction. Hoffman’s Sunbird is very similar, and often grouped into this species.
Congo Sunbird by Mark Van Beirs
The Congo Sunbird is found in the Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is one of the most visually distinct members of the genus precisely because it has a very long tail instead of a very short tail. This also makes it one of the longest members of the genus. Color wise, it’s similar in being one of the greener varietes.
Red-Chested Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
Red-Chested Sunbirds are especially distinct for having bright red chests, more so than other species, and a more blue-colored portion to their upper wings. They have longer-ish tails as well, and are found mainly in Tanzania, in savanna habitats. They are not considered threatened with extinction.
Black Bellied Sunbird by ChriKo, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Black-Bellied Sunbirds are very similar to their Red-Chested cousins, but with longer beaks and slightly longer tails; they are found in a larger range as well.
Purple-Banded Sunbird by Alan Manson, CC By-SA 2.0
Purple-Banded Sunbirds finally break some of the pattern by having bright purple chests instead of red chests, and no warm colors at all. They also have fairly long bills and short tails. They live over a huge range in central Africa, and aren’t threatened with extinction.
Tsavo Sunbird by Dominic Sherony, CC BY-SA 2.0
Tsavo Sunbirds continue that pattern, though with a smaller purple patch on their chests. They also live in a large area, mainly favoring acacia trees. Not very much is known about this species.
Violet-Breasted Sunbird by Nik Borrow
Violet-Breasted Sunbirds differ from the past two in having a more curved bill and even shorter tail, but beyond that very little is known about this species of bird - they are common in Somalia and rarer in Kenya, and haven’t been documented extensively.
Pemba Sunbird by Nigel Voaden, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Pemba Sunbird is more blueish green on the top than others, though it can also look green depending on the sunlight. They make interesting “tslink” calls, and aren’t considered endangered despite living mainly in a restricted range on islands.
Orange-Tufted Sunbird by Ron Knight, CC By 2.0
Orange-Tufted Sunbirds are especially distinct for having purple tops of their heads right before their beaks. With red patches underneath the purple stripe, and blue tail feathers, they are quite beautiful to behold. Despite not being endangered, they are very uncommon and live in isolated patches in central Africa.
Palestine Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Palestine Sunbird is one of the most beautiful and well known species in the genus, found in the Western Asia area and brilliantly blueish-green all over its back and tail, with a purple stripe across its chest. Its bill is slightly curved, and it makes interesting “chwing-chwing-chwing” calls to each other. They wander across the Jordan and Oman, and will occasionally dip into Syria, and while fairly uncommon in most if its range it is especially common in the Israel-Palestine region.
Shining Sunbird by عادل احمد الهلال, CC BY-SA 3.0
Shining Sunbirds return to a more light colored green on their back, though it’s harder to tell in some lighting! Their chests return to a more red color, with females having especially pale underparts. They are found in Ethiopia and Somalia, sometimes extending down into Kenya. The Arabian Sunbird is usually added into this, and is found in the Arabian peninsula.
Splendid Sunbird by Elizabeth Ellis, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Splendid Sunbird is another very distinct species of this genus with a bright purple head and purple feathers extending down their backs. They have red and purple patches alternating down their necks, and have extremely complicated chip-filled sounds. They are found primarily in Western Africa, especially along the Ivory Coast.
Johanna’s Sunbird by Éric Roualet
Johanna’s Sunbird takes the red patch and extends it even further, turning most of the belly red and then the black rump feathers are red-tinted as well. They are common in Liberia, and are not particularly well known.
Superb Sunbird by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Superb Sunbird is fascinating for having a red belly and rump with black speckles along it. They also have a blue-green patch on the tops of their heads, and very long bills. The females are also bright yellow. They are found in low-mountain forests in Liberia and Uganda, and males are very precocious in their breeding, starting even before adult plumage comes in.
Rufous-Winged Sunbird by Nik borrow
The Rufous-Winged Sunbird is vulnerable to extinction due to threats from habitat loss in their mountain forests. They are fascinating to look at for having non-iridescent brown wings and brown chests, making them stand out amongst their relatives. Their heads are more blueish than greenish as well.
Oustalet’s Sunbird by Lars Petersson
Oustalet’s Sunbird is a rarer species with a brilliantly white rump, found mainly in Angola - it is, unfortunately very poorly known.
White-Bellied Sunbird by Lip Kee Yap, CC BY-SA 2.0
White-Bellied Sunbirds also have white bellies, like the Oustalet’s, but is much better known. In fact, it is documented as the prey of mongooses and cats, and is subjected to brood parasitism by cuckoos. It is thriving from the fragmentation of its habitat, leading to increases in population.
Variable Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
Variable Sunbirds are fascinating for having yellow rumps and bellies again, with brilliant patterns of blue and purple and green over their heads and chests. The differences in plumage across populations lead to its name! They will be both resident and migratory depending on location, and are found across Zimbabwe to Nigeria.
Dusky Sunbird by Alan Manson, CC BY-SA 2.0
Dusky Sunbirds aren’t very brilliant in color, with dullish green heads and necks and grey feathers elsewhere. They make more trilling calls and are found mainly in Southern Africa. They tend to move about based on the availability of flowering plants and droughts.
Ursula’s Sunbird by Dubi Shapiro
Ursula’s Sunbird is not iridescent at all! The sexes are similar, with grey crowns and olive green bodies. They have slight orange patches underneath their wings. These birds still fill the same niche as other in this genus, and are found entirely within the Cameroon Mountains.
Bates’ Sunbird is also non-iridescent, with olive green feathers in both males and females. It is also found in Cameroon, primarily in primary forests, and isn’t considered threatened with extinction. It will supplement its diet with berries and fruits in addition to insects and spiders!
Copper Sunbird by H. Mallison, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Copper Sunbird breaks the mold entirely, with the males being red and purple and sometimes even yellow rather than green or blue at all. They migrate across Africa due to the movement of the rains, and are extremely common in most of their ranges.
Purple Sunbird by J. M. Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0
Purple Sunbirds were also named aptly, with blue-purple feathers over almost all of their bodies. The females look like a completely different bird entirely, with yellow rumps and chests and necks, and brown backs and wings. They are found across India and Pakistan, making them very far removed from the birds previously discussed in this article.
Olive-Backed Sunbird by Lip Keep Yap, CC By-SA 2.0
Olive-Backed Sunbirds are what their name suggest - olive on their backs! Any iridescence in the males is restricted to the fronts of the face and the upper necks. Their bellies and rumps are, by and large, yellow in color. They reed throughout the year and are found across Southeastern Asia, the Pacific, and even into Australia, greatly extending the range of this genus of birds. They are often preyed upon by monitor lizards. The Rand’s Sunbird is sometimes grouped in this genus - these birds differ in the males having black bellies and rumps.
Apricot-Breasted Sunbird by Ron Knight, CC BY 2.0
The Apricot-Breasted Sunbird is similar to the Olive-Backed but has slight reddish tints under the blue patch. They are not as well known but are known to forage high in the tree levels. They are only found on the island of Sumba.
Flame-Breasted Sunbird by Pete Morris
Flame-Breasted Sunbirds continue on this theme of the last few, extending the orange coloration down to the rump area, giving them that distinctive “flame” appearance. Found on the island of timor, they are fairly poorly known birds.
Souimanga Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
Souimanga Sunbirds go back to the more familiar theme, but with distinctive black patches under the red iridescent stripes. They make very warbling calls and the males are less involved in the breeding than in other species. This species is found entirely on the island of Madagascar. Abbott’s Sunbird is usually grouped into this species.
Humblot’s Sunbird by Paul van Giersbergen
Humblot’s Sunbird is also fairly firey in color, with only reddish-purple iridescent feathers on their heads and necks. They especially enjoy insect larvae as an extra sources of food. They are found only on the Comoro Islands, giving them a very restricted range.
Seychelles Sunbird by Alfonso Barrada
The Seychelles Sunbird is very dull in color, grey almost all over, except for a small purple patch on the neck. They make a very squeaky call, distinct from other species in the genus. They’re also polygomous, mating with a variety of different partners in one breeding season, unlike the more monogamous other species. These birds are found in the Victorian islands.
Malagasy Green Sunbird by Francesco Veronesi, CC By-SA 2.0
The Long-Billed Green Sunbird, or Malagasy Green Sunbird, is found in the Comoros Islands and Madagascar. It also returns to the more usual plumage of this genus, with a soft warbling song. They are found in a very wide variety of habitat and are indeed very common within Madagascar. The Grand Comoro Sunbird is also grouped into this species, and is in general darker. Sometimes, the Moheli Sunbird is also grouped into this genus.
Anjouan Sunbird by Paul van Giersbergen
The Anjouan Sunbird is only found on the Anjouan Islands, giving it yet another very restricted range. It follows similar color patterns to other species in this genus, and it is very common throughout the island on which it lives.
Mayotte Sunbird by Dubi Shapiro
The Mayotte Sunbird is another restricted-range species, found only on the island of Mayotte. It also looks similar to the other species in the genus, though it has a distinctive orange patch across its belly and a yellow rump. They also make particularly harsh noises.
Loten's Sunbird by Arshad Ka, CC BY 3.0
And finally, Loten’s Sunbird, found in India and Sri Lanka, is a brilliantly turquoise bird, with the blue coloration extending into the tail. It has a purple neck and red chest, and the females are dark brown with light yellow chests. Interestingly enough, they have extremely long bills, but they still eat a wide variety of foods other than nectar. They are quite common within their ranges, making very rapid ticking calls.
~ By Meig Dickson
Sources under the Cut
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Anjouan Sunbird (Cinnyris comorensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Apricot-breasted Sunbird (Cinnyris buettikoferi). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Bates's Sunbird (Cinnyris batesi). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R., Mann, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Beautiful Sunbird (Cinnyris pulchellus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Black-bellied Sunbird (Cinnyris nectarinioides). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Congo Sunbird (Cinnyris congensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Copper Sunbird (Cinnyris cupreus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Dusky Sunbird (Cinnyris fuscus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R., Mann, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Eastern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris mediocris). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Flame-breasted Sunbird (Cinnyris solaris). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R., Mann, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Eastern Miombo Sunbird (Cinnyris manoensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Greater Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris afer). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Humblot's Sunbird (Cinnyris humbloti). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Johanna's Sunbird (Cinnyris johannae). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R., Mann, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Long-billed Sunbird (Cinnyris notatus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Loten's Sunbird (Cinnyris lotenius). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Loveridge's Sunbird (Cinnyris loveridgei). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Mariqua Sunbird (Cinnyris mariquensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Mayotte Sunbird (Cinnyris coquerellii). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Montane Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris ludovicensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Moreau's Sunbird (Cinnyris moreaui). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Neergaard's Sunbird (Cinnyris neergaardi). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Northern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R., Mann, C., Christie, D.A. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Olive-bellied Sunbird (Cinnyris chloropygius). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Orange-tufted Sunbird (Cinnyris bouvieri). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Oustalet's Sunbird (Cinnyris oustaleti). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Palestine Sunbird (Cinnyris osea). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Pemba Sunbird (Cinnyris pembae). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Prigogine's Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris prigoginei). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Purple-banded Sunbird (Cinnyris bifasciatus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Red-chested Sunbird (Cinnyris erythrocercus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Regal Sunbird (Cinnyris regius). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Rockefeller's Sunbird (Cinnyris rockefelleri). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Rufous-winged Sunbird (Cinnyris rufipennis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris stuhlmanni). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Seychelles Sunbird (Cinnyris dussumieri). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Shelley's Sunbird (Cinnyris shelleyi). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R., Mann, C. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Shining Sunbird (Cinnyris habessinicus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Splendid Sunbird (Cinnyris coccinigastrus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Superb Sunbird (Cinnyris superbus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Tiny Sunbird (Cinnyris minullus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Ursula's Sunbird (Cinnyris ursulae). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Variable Sunbird (Cinnyris venustus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Violet-breasted Sunbird (Cinnyris chalcomelas). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). White-breasted Sunbird (Cinnyris talatala). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Arabian Sunbird (Cinnyris hellmayri). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Forest Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris fuelleborni). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Gorgeous Sunbird (Cinnyris melanogastrus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Grand Comoro Sunbird (Cinnyris moebii). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Moheli Sunbird (Cinnyris voeltzkowi). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Christie, D.A. (2019). Rand's Sunbird (Cinnyris idenburgi). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Usambara Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris usambaricus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Western Miombo Sunbird (Cinnyris gertrudis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Time and Place: Between 31 and 28 million years ago, in the Rupelian of the Oligocene
Eurotrochilus is known from the Menilite Formation, the Bott-Eder Grube Unterfeld, and Le Grand Banc locations across Poland, Germany, and France
Physical Description: Eurotrochilus is a bird that is remarkable precisely because, to us, it is utterly unremarkable. Put in a clearer way, Eurotrochilus is almost identical to living Hummingbirds - but it’s thirty million years old. An extremely small bird, Eurotrochilus had wings shaped like hummingbirds - small, triangular, and built for hovering flight. It was about nine centimeters in length, making it as big as living hummingbirds like the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. In addition to having small, triangular wings, Eurotrochilus had tiny legs, like living Hummingbirds, and a very long beak. So, its identical nature to living hummingbirds points to the hummingbird body plan as an ancient one, that hasn’t been improved upon much during the Cenozoic era. Still, it wasn’t a true hummingbird yet - aka in the group that contains modern hummingbirds and those more closely related to one sort than the other - because it still had long finger bones, and smaller connections between those bones. So, while the general hummingbird shape was present for thirty million years, it still had some modifications left to go.
Diet: With its very long, specialized bill, Eurotrochilus would have fed on nectar, like living hummingbirds.
Behavior: We can be fairly confident that Eurotrochilus was capable of hovering, and did so with some regularity; it would hover near flowers and rarely perch on them while gathering nectar up with its long beak. The beak would go into the center of the flower to draw up nectar, and in the process Eurotrochilus would pick up pollen. Then, upon going to the next flower to drink more nectar, Eurotrochilus would drop off the pollen, thus helping the flowers to reproduce. It would have spent most of its time hovering, and when not hovering would rest on branches or in more foliage-filled areas. It would have been a fairly active animal, and loud as well, making a variety of chirps and calls to one another. They probably would have been very brightly colored, like living hummingbirds, and the males probably wouldn’t have been very involved in nest care.
By Ripley Cook
Ecosystem: Eurotrochilus primarily lived in forested areas, near lagoons, lakes, and estruary-filled areas. These lush habitats were filled with a variety of flowering plants for Eurotrochilus to feed on, and the forests were densely populated with birches, oaks, cypresses, conifers, palms, roses, asterids, and beeches. Eurotrochilus was a common site in these environments, which featured a variety of birds that resembled living forms and yet, were not quite like their modern counterparts. In the Bott-Eder environment of Germany, a coastal bay area, Eurotrochilus lived with birds such as the barbet Rupelramphastoides, the buttonquail Turnipax, the tody Palaeotodus, the mousebird Oligocolius, the trogon Primotrogon, the loon Colymboides, the seabird Rueplornis, and the songbird Wieslochia. This is a notable environment with a variety of transitional tree and ocean going birds, making it a fascinating habitat in which to study the evolution of dinosaurs in the Cenozoic. There were also sea cows, bats, and a Hyaenodont Apterodon, though Eurotrochilus would have been so small its unlikely that the Hyaenodont would have posed a problem for it. In the dense lake environment of Menilite, Eurotrochilus lived with the passerines Jamna, Resoviaornis, and Winnicavis, as well as the woodpecker Picavus. Here there was an extensive amount of thermal activity, which would negatively affect the ecosystem with gas bubbles and oil wells. In the lagoon environment of Le Grand, there was also Primotrogon, the early cuckoo Eocuculus, the crane Parvigrus, and the stem-passerine Zygodactylus.
Other: As the oldest representative of a proper, nectar-eating hummingbird shape, Eurotrochilus is vital for our understanding of the evolution of hummingbirds. In fact, its presence points to the idea that flowers pollinated by birds co-evolved with hummingbirds in the Eastern Hemisphere, even though hummingbirds aren’t present on that side of the globe today. Hummingbirds like Eurotrochilus, however, disappeared from that half of the globe during tropical climate collapse in Europe and the effects of the ice age. Interestingly enough, they were replaced in the Eastern Hemisphere by Sunbirds, a group of passerines that convergently evolved similar adaptations for hovering and nectar-eating, and also brightly colored feathers.
Species Differences: The two species of Eurotrochilus mainly differ on the proportions of the limbs, with E. noniewiczi having longer upper arm bones than E. inexpecattus, but shorter lower arm bones. They lived at the same time and fairly close to each other, so this difference is important in telling apart the varying kinds of these early hummingbirds.
~ By Meig Dickson
Sources Under the Cut
Bochenski, Zygmunt; Bochenski, Zbigniew (19 December 2007). "An Old World hummingbird from the Oligocene: a new fossil from Polish Carpathians". Journal of Ornithology. 149 (2): 211
Bochenski, Zbigniew M.; Tomek, Teresa (10 December 2013). "A review of avain remains from the Oligocene of the Outer Carpathians and Central Paleogene Basin". Proceed. 8th Internat. Meeting Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution.
Louchart, Antoine; Tourment, Nicolas; Carrier, Julie; Roux, Thierry (27 September 2007). "Hummingbird with modern feathering: an exceptionally well-preserved Oligocene fossil from southern France". Naturwissenschaften. 95 (2): 171–175.
Mayr, Gerald (7 May 2004). "Old World Fossil Record of Modern-Type Hummingbirds". Science. 304 (5672): 861–874.
Mayr, Gerald (March 2005). "Fossil hummingbirds in the Old World". Biologist. 52 (1): 16.
Mayr, Gerald (25 July 2006). "New specimens of the early Oligocene Old World hummingbird Eurotrochilus inexpectatus". Journal of Ornithology. 148 (1): 105–111.
Mayr, Gerald (8 September 2009). "New specimens of the avian taxa Eurotrochilus (Trochilidae) and Palaeotodus (Todidae) from the early Oligocene of Germany". Springer. 84 (3): 387–395.
Mayr, G. 2009. Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
Mayr, G. 2017. Avian Evolution: The Fossil Record of Birds and its Paleobiological Significance. Topics in Paleobiology, Wiley Blackwell. West Sussex.
Maxwell, Erin E. (1 December 2016). "The Rauenberg fossil Lagerstätte (Baden-Württemberg, Germany): A window into early Oligocene marine and coastal ecosystems of Central Europe". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 463.
Prum, Richard O.; Berv, Jacob S.; Dornberg, Alex; Field, Daniel J.; Townsend, Jeffrey P.; Lemmon, Emily Moriarty; Lemmon, Alan R. (2015). "A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing". Nature. 526: 569–573.
Reddy, Sushma; et al. (2015). "Why do phylogenomic data sets yield conflicting trees? Data type influences the avian tree of life more than taxon sampling". Systematic Biology. 66 (5): 857–879.
Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary
The Orange-Breasted Sunbird is known from the Cape of South Africa
Physical Description: The Orange-Breasted Sunbird is an amazingly distinctive bird, very small at only 16.5 centimeters long for males and 13.5 centimeters long for females. The males are distinctive in general, with long dark tails and vibrant colors - their chests are orange and purple, with green heads; their bodies are yellow and, in general, they are iridescent and shiny. The females are yellow all over, and aren’t shiny at all. Both have long, curved beaks for feeding on nectar.
By Raymond Ellis, in the Public Domain
Diet: The Orange-Breasted Sunbird primarily feeds on nectar, though it will occasionally supplement its diet with insects.
By Aland Manson, CC BY-SA 4.0
Behavior: These birds will forage alone or in small groups, mainly on the ground and in plants while reaching for food. They do occasionally form loose groups during the non-breeding season. They make high-pitched melodious notes, including “tzzurr tzzurr” or “Jeeeu jeeu” calls. They also make “seep-seep-seep-seep” calls back and forth, and males - when they chase each other - make calls that sound like “Ke-ke-ke-ke”.
By Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0
The Orange-Breasted Sunbird mates all year round, though it peaks mating from May through August. Usually, they’ll lay two to three broods a year. The male makes territorial displays, including wing-stretching to reveal tufts of feathers. The female will then build the nest alone over the course of two weeks, making an ovular porch with a small entrance out of twigs and roots. They’re usually held together with cobwebs and down. Then, one to two eggs are laid and incubated by the female for two weeks. The chicks are brooded and fed by both parents for three weeks; they are then dependent on the parents for another three weeks after leaving the nest. They will migrate at least somewhat in search of flowering plants - aka, food.
By Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0
Ecosystem: These sunbirds live in the Fynbos, a belt of shrublands along the Cape of Africa. They are occasionally found in gardens as well, and in the Karoo basin. Cuckoos do parasitize their nests.
By Prosthetic Head, CC BY-SA 4.0
Other: The Orange-Breasted Sunbird, while in a restricted range, is not considered threatened with extinction. That being said, habitat disturbance and loss has caused some population drops.
~ By Meig Dickson
Sources under the Cut:
Cheke, R. & Mann, C. (2019). Orange-breasted Sunbird (Anthobaphes violacea). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.
Referred Species: S. sephaniodes (Green-Backed Firecrown), S. fernandensis (Juan Fernández Firecrown)
Status: Extant, Critically Endangered - Least Concern
Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary
The Firecrowns live in southern South America, as well as Isla Robinson Crusoe
Physical Description: Firecrown Hummingbirds are distinctive for the reason you would indeed expect - their fiery heads! Both species have fancy feathers on their foreheads. Like all hummingbirds, these are quite small - ranging from 10 to 12 centimeters in length. The males generally have reddish coloration, while the females are more greenish. A lot of the differences between the sexes are species-based, however, and can be found in that section of this article. Like other hummingbirds they have long, thin, grey bills, and very long fluffy tails. Their wings are small and triangular for hovering. .
Diet: The Firecrowns are nectivores, feeding on a variety of flower nectar that they glean with their long beaks. They hover in order to stay near on a flower for a long time, in order to get enough food. The Juan Fernández species will also eat insects, especially during the chick rearing season.
Green-Backed Firecrown by Suemili, CC BY-SA 3.0
Behavior: These birds make songs of high-pitched, squeaky notes, and dry trills, as well as descending chatters. The Green-Backed Firecrown does migrate, wintering in the lowlands of Argentina, and moving back up to the north during the summer. The Juan Fernández species does not migrate.
These birds breed from September through November, making very small cup-shaped nests containing two white eggs. These nests can either be found in cover or over water. Very little else is known of their breeding behavior, though homosexual activity between males has been documented in this species.
Green-Backed Firecrown by Felipebernala, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ecosystem: The Firecrowns live in thick jungles and rainforests, usually at mid levels of vegetation; they can also be found in large numbers wherever trees are flowering (for fairly obvious reasons). They can be found near human-created habitats as well. The Juan Fernández Firecrown have their nests preyed upon by Austral Thrushes.
Other: The Green-Backed Firecrown is very common and is threatened currently by man-made environmental pressures; the Juan Fernández Firecrown is critically endangered, with a population of less than 2000 mature individuals. They seem to be threatened due to human activity, especially plant destruction, habitat disturbance, wood harvesting, introduced mammal predators and competitors, and other terrifying environmental distressors. Direct conservation actions are ongoing, and there are talks of breeding programs.
Juan Fernández Firecrown Arthur Grosset, CC BY-SA 3.0
Species Differences: The Green-Backed Firecrown is smaller than the Juan Fernández species, and it is also green all over its body in both sexes. Their wings are grey, and the major difference between males and females is that the males have iridescent orange crowns on their heads. The Juan Fernández Firecrown has completely orange males, with iridescent crowns; the females are green backed, with blue tails and blue iridescent crowns. They also have grey wings in both sexes. The Green-Backed Firecrown lives on the mainland of South America, while the Juan Fernández Firecrown is only found on Isla Robinson Crusoe.
~ By Meig Dickson
Sources under the Cut
Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.
Prum, R.O. et al. 2015. A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing. Nature 526: 569–573.
Roy, M.S., Boesman, P. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Green-backed Firecrown (Sephanoides sephaniodes). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
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