Dressed For Success This Bird Transforms Into A Dazzling Emerald Just At The Right Time!

A bird who undergoes a dramatic transformation during the breeding season from a somewhat subdued bird to a dazzling emerald vision with a flowing tail.

Meet the Malachite sunbird:

Dressed to Impress: The breeding male malachite sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) is a sight to behold. With a metallic green body, blackish-green wings, and tiny yellow patches on his chest, he boasts long, flowing central tail feathers that reach up to 25 centimeters in length.

The female, on the other hand, is quite different. She has brown upperparts and dull yellow underparts, with a shorter, square-ended tail.

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– Decked Out In In A Vibrant Combination Of Burning Orange And Black, Or Fiery Yellow And Black, Take Your Pick!

Juveniles resemble the female.

Distribution: Found from the highlands of Ethiopia all the way down to South Africa, this dazzling creature plays a vital role in pollinating flowering plants, especially those with long, tubular flowers like the ones found in Fynbos vegetation.

A Home Among the Flowers: This sunbird prefers hilly landscapes with Fynbos vegetation, including stands of proteas and areas with aloes. It also thrives in cool montane and coastal scrub, reaching altitudes of up to 2,800 meters in South Africa. Parks and gardens, especially those in the Highveld, are also popular spots. While primarily resident, they may move downhill during winter.

Nectar Seekers with a Sweet Tooth: Like most sunbirds, the malachite sunbird’s main food source is nectar. However, they won’t turn down insects, especially when feeding their young. They hunt insects in a similar way to flycatchers, perching and then darting out to catch prey.

Diet: While some sunbirds can hover like hummingbirds while feeding on nectar, the malachite sunbird spends most of its time perched. Their long, thin, curved bills and brush-tipped tongues are perfectly adapted for this nectar-loving lifestyle. Favorite nectar sources include various aloe species, proteas, Leonotis, and Strelitzia plants. Interestingly, their territorial behavior around flowering plants may have even influenced the evolution of long-tubed flowers, making them less accessible to shorter-billed sunbirds that might steal nectar without pollinating the plant.

Breeding and Social Life: Malachite sunbirds are monogamous, meaning they mate for life. The female builds a suspended oval nest, typical of sunbirds, and lays one to three greenish eggs with dark blotches. She incubates them for two weeks, and both parents feed the chicks until they fledge. These sunbirds often raise two broods in a season and may be targeted by parasitic cuckoos. While territorial and aggressive during nesting, they become highly social outside the breeding season, forming large flocks of over 1,000 birds.

Songs and Displays: Their call is a loud “tseep-tseep,” and the male has a distinct twittering song often accompanied by an impressive display. He points his head upwards, displays his yellow chest tufts, and keeps his wings partially open. Males also have an elaborate display flight. Interestingly, a study revealed that males even show off their chest tufts almost constantly throughout the night, even while sleeping. This might function as a defense mechanism, resembling eyespots to deter nocturnal predators.

The malachite sunbird is a fascinating creature that adds a vibrant touch to the landscapes it inhabits. From its dazzling plumage to its vital role in pollination, this little bird is a true gem of the African avifauna.

Status: This bird is regarded as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Listen to this bird’s song next:

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A Brilliantly Bright Bird Is Rendered Dazzling Due To His Vivid Coat Of Riotous Red!

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