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.
From Malachite Sunbird
The male loses his metallic green entirely outside the breeding season and moults to an olive brown indistinguishable from the female's.
From Malachite Sunbird
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.
From Malachite Sunbird
Its nest is a hanging pouch of plant fibre and cobweb with a small eave over the entrance that works as a visor against the monsoon rain.
From Crimson Sunbird
It pierces the base of flowers too long for its bill and drinks the nectar without pollinating the plant, a shortcut several American hummingbirds also use.
From Crimson Sunbird
Like all sunbirds, it hardly ever hovers to drink: it perches on the flower or on a nearby stem, unlike the hummingbirds, which feed suspended in the air.
From Crimson Sunbird
It is the northernmost-living sunbird in the world: its family is essentially tropical, and this species has reached the eastern Mediterranean by following the oases and, more recently, irrigated gardens.
From Palestine Sunbird
Its recent spread north and west is directly tied to ornamental gardening: exotic plants with tubular flowers have opened up areas where it previously could not live.
From Palestine Sunbird

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one