Sunbird

Sunbird is a common name for small nectar-feeding passerine birds in the family Nectariniidae, often referred to as Old World sunbirds to distinguish them from other nectar-feeders. They occur across Africa, the Middle East, southern Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Sunbirds inhabit a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, scrub, mangroves, and human-modified environments such as gardens with abundant flowering plants.

Sunbirds are small to medium and typically measure around 8–12 centimeters in length. They possess slender, downward-curved bills adapted for nectar extraction and brush-tipped tongues. Males often display bright, metallic colors such as greens, blues, or purples, while females and juveniles tend to be duller, with olive or brown plumage. Their plumage and size enable them to exploit a range of tubular flowers.

Their diet is primarily nectar, supplemented by insects and spiders, especially when feeding nestlings. They are highly territorial around flowering patches, frequently defending a feeding territory from conspecifics while visiting a diversity of flowering plants. They often hover briefly at flowers but mainly feed by perching.

Breeding seasons vary by region. They build small cup-shaped nests, usually woven from plant fibers, moss, and spider silk, often suspended from a branch. Clutch sizes are typically two to three eggs, with both parents involved in feeding the young. Taxonomically, sunbirds comprise about 140 species in several genera, and they are strictly Old World nectarivores, unrelated to New World hummingbirds.