Sunbirds - Hummingbirds from Africa
These birds fly from flower to flower, as glittering jewels. In Africa they are called Sunbirds and several species are to be seen in the African Bird Collection.
These birds are like emeralds in the World of birds and are some of the most adorable of the African birds. Despite it´s small size, it arouses the attention with their twittering song and sparkling plumage. Their colors require sunlight to give full justice, forming beautiful reflection colors, much like the glimmering formed when a thin film of oil on water is illuminated by the sun. In most species, the male is spectacularly colored, in order to compete with other males on the females´ favor. The female has a gray or green camouflage color.
The sunbird has the equivalent in the American continent´s hummingbird and feeds on nectar from flowering trees and herbs. The bird collects the nectar by vigorously fly from flower to flower with buzzing rapid wing beats, eating standing in the air.
Sunbirds / honey birds ( Nectarinia others) A402 - A438 .
The birds can be seen in showcase 1 in the African Bird Collection.
