Southern Double-collared Sunbird: how to recognise it
A bird of Africa. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © John Gale · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Cinnyris chalybeus
- Family
- Sunbirds and Spiderhunters
- Size
- About 11 cm
- Habitat
- Fynbos, forest edge and gardens
- Found in
- Africa
The key marks
Male has a metallic green head and back, a blue band and then a red band across the chest, a grey belly and a short, curved bill. Orange-breasted Sunbird male is orange below, has long central tail feathers and a longer bill.
Voice
Sharp, high 'chip' calls and a fast, twittering song.
Good to know
It drinks nectar from aloes, proteas and garden flowers and also catches small insects.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Orange-breasted Sunbird. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in fynbos, forest edge and gardens. It is especially common in South Africa. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.