Orange-breasted Sunbird
Anthobaphes violacea
The Orange-breasted Sunbird (Anthobaphes violacea) is a uncommon spiderhunters and sunbird found only in South Africa, weighing about 9 g. The orange-breasted sunbird is a species of small, predominantly nectar-feeding bird that is endemic to the fynbos shrubland biome of southwestern South Africa.
About the Orange-breasted Sunbird
The orange-breasted sunbird is a species of small, predominantly nectar-feeding bird that is endemic to the fynbos shrubland biome of southwestern South Africa. It is the only member of the genus Anthobaphes, in the family Nectariniidae, though it is sometimes placed in the genus Nectarinia. The birds are sexually dimorphic, with females being olive green while the males are orange to yellow on the underside with bright green, blue and purple on the head and neck.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
As with other sunbirds the bill is long and decurved, that of the male being longer than that of the female. The bill, legs and feet are black. The eyes are dark brown. The head, throat and mantle of the male are bright metallic green. The rest of the upper parts are olive green. The upper breast is metallic violet and the lower breast is bright orange, fading to paler orange and yellow on the belly. The tail is long and blackish, with elongated central tail feathers, which extend beyond the other feathers.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Orange-breasted 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 Orange-breasted Sunbird?
- As with other sunbirds the bill is long and decurved, that of the male being longer than that of the female. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Orange-breasted Sunbird?
- The Orange-breasted Sunbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 9 g.
- Where can you see an Orange-breasted Sunbird?
- The Orange-breasted Sunbird is endemic to South Africa, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to an Orange-breasted Sunbird?
- The Orange-breasted Sunbird is most easily confused with the Bronze Sunbird, the Garden Sunbird and the Garden Sunbird.
- Is the Orange-breasted Sunbird endangered?
- The Orange-breasted Sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Orange-breasted Sunbird for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.