Anchieta's Sunbird
Anthreptes anchietae
The Anchieta's Sunbird (Anthreptes anchietae) is a legendary spiderhunters and sunbird found in 4 countries, weighing about 8 g. Anchieta's sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae.
About the Anchieta's Sunbird
Anchieta's sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Angola, the DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia, and is named after José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Anchieta's sunbird is a small bird, about 10–12 cm (3.9–4.7 in) long and weighing around 8 grams (0.28 oz). The male has dark iridescent blue on the forehead, crown, chin, and upper breast. Its wings and tail are brown. The side of the breast is bright yellow, and the central breast to the upper belly is bright orangey-red. The rest of the underparts are greyish-brown, while the bill and legs are black. The female is similar but has only blue on the forehead. Her chin and throat are brown with blue tips, and her breast is a dull yellow. Voice: Anchieta's sunbirds are vocal birds that utter complex calls and songs, which are essential in their communication. They make calls such as "tseu-werr", "tsoo-wit", "tser-wit-tsui-tsi", "chip-choo-chip". These may be repeated from one to 40 times. They also make simple calls: "twi-tsui-tsi-twi" or ascending notes like "tzer-chip-chip-chip" up to 20 repetitions.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Anchieta's Sunbird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in September. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Anchieta's Sunbird?
- Anchieta's sunbird is a small bird, about 10–12 cm (3.9–4.7 in) long and weighing around 8 grams (0.28 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Anchieta's Sunbird?
- The Anchieta's Sunbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 8 g.
- Where can you see an Anchieta's Sunbird?
- The Anchieta's Sunbird occurs in 4 countries, including Zambia, Malawi, Angola and Tanzania.
- What birds look similar to an Anchieta's Sunbird?
- The Anchieta's Sunbird is most easily confused with the Banded Green Sunbird, the Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird and the Violet-tailed Sunbird.
- Is the Anchieta's Sunbird endangered?
- The Anchieta's Sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Anchieta's Sunbird for real
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