Malachite Sunbird

• Sunbirds are the African equivalent of hummingbirds: the same size, the same nectar diet and the same iridescence, with no close relationship. The great difference is that they almost never hover: they perch on the flower to drink.
• The male loses his metallic green entirely outside the breeding season and moults to an olive brown indistinguishable from the female's.
• It is the main pollinator of the giant lobelias of the East African mountains, plants several metres tall that grow only above 3,000 metres.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)

Habitat and environment

High-altitude grassland, fynbos, heathland and mountain gardens of eastern and southern Africa

Sexual maturity

12 months

Gestation / incubation

14 days of incubation

Litter / clutch size

2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachite_sunbird