Souimanga Sunbird
Cinnyris sovimanga
The Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga) is a rare spiderhunters and sunbird found in 3 countries, weighing about 7 g. The souimanga sunbird is a small passerine bird of the sunbird family, Nectariniidae.
About the Souimanga Sunbird
The souimanga sunbird is a small passerine bird of the sunbird family, Nectariniidae. It is native to the islands of the western Indian Ocean where it occurs on Madagascar, the Aldabra Group and the Glorioso Islands.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The souimanga sunbird is 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long with a wingspan of 13 centimetres (5.1 in). The black bill is long, thin and curved. Males of the nominate subspecies have a metallic green head, back and throat. The breast is blackish with a more or less continuous red band while the belly is yellow and the wings and tail are brown. There are yellow tufts at the sides of the breast which become visible when the birds lift their wings in courtship display. Males presumably moult into a duller eclipse plumage by March–April, losing most of the metallic and red feathering for a few months.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Souimanga Sunbird?
- The souimanga sunbird is 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long with a wingspan of 13 centimetres (5.1 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Souimanga Sunbird?
- The Souimanga Sunbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 7 g.
- Where can you see a Souimanga Sunbird?
- The Souimanga Sunbird occurs in 3 countries, including Madagascar, Moldova and the Seychelles.
- What birds look similar to a Souimanga Sunbird?
- The Souimanga Sunbird is most easily confused with the Olive-bellied Sunbird, the Copper Sunbird and the Copper Sunbird.
- Is the Souimanga Sunbird endangered?
- The Souimanga Sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Souimanga Sunbird for real
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