Everything about The Palestine Sunbird totally explained
The
Palestine Sunbird or
Northern Orange-tufted Sunbird (
Cinnyris oseus) is a small
passerine bird of the
sunbird family which is found in parts of the
Middle East and sub-Saharan
Africa. It is also known as
Orange-tufted Sunbird, a name which is also used for the similar
Orange-tufted Sunbird (
Cinnyris bouvieri), found further south in Africa.
Description
The Palestine Sunbird is 8 to 12 cm long with a wingspan of 14 to 16 cm. Males have an average weight of 7.6 g and females weigh around 6.8 g. The
bill is fairly long, black and curves downwards. The
plumage of breeding males is mostly dark but appears glossy blue or green in the light. There are orange tufts at the sides of the breast which are hard to see except at close range. Females and
juveniles are grey-brown above with pale underparts. Non-breeding males are similar but may retain some dark feathers.
It has a high, fast, jingling
song and various calls including a harsh alarm call.
Habitat and range
It occurs in areas with high temperatures and dry climate from sea-level up to an altitude of 3200 m. It inhabits dry woodland,
scrub,
wadis,
savannas, orchards and gardens and is common in towns in some areas.
The Middle Eastern
subspecies C. o. oseus breeds from
Palestine and
Jordan in the north, down through western
Saudi Arabia to
Yemen and
Oman in the south. In recent decades it has colonized the
Sinai Peninsula in
Egypt. Some birds reach
Lebanon and
Syria in winter and it has bred in Lebanon.
The African subspecies
C. o. decorsei is found very locally in parts of
Sudan, north-west
Uganda, the
Central African Republic, north-east
Democratic Republic of Congo and northern
Cameroon.
Feeding
The diet consists mainly of
insects and
nectar. The
tongue is long and brush-tipped to extract nectar from flowers. The birds usually feed while perched beside a flower but they're also capable of hovering.
Reproduction
The purse-like
nest hangs from a branch in a tree or bush. It is 18 cm long and 8 cm wide at the base. It is made of leaves, grass and other plant material which is bound together with hair and
spider webs and lined with wool and feathers. One to three smooth, glossy
eggs are laid. These are somewhat variable in colour; often white or grey with faint markings at the broader end. They are
incubated for 13 to 14 days. The young are downy with an orange-red mouth and
fledge after 14 to 21 days.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Palestine Sunbird'.
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