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Song of the Sunbirds

© Glenda Gibbons

In the Old World, sunbirds are the equivalent of the American hummingbird. While both groups bear no relationship to each other,(sunbirds are songbirds, hummingbirds are not) there are similarities that simply cannot be ignored.

Sunbirds (Passeriformes Nectariniidae) feed on nectar and small insects just like hummingbirds, but they like to sit down either on, or next to the flower that happens to be the meal of the moment. Hummingbirds almost always eat while their wings are continuing to beat the air, enabling them to hover motionless above the flower. The sunbird will occasionally feed while hovering, searching the flower petals for insects while it remains poised above the food source.

Sunbirds are compact, small in size with a long bill that is down-curved. There are fine serrated edges on the cutting tip of the bill. But the really interesting thing about the sunbirds, are their tongues. The outer two-thirds is a double tube that opens into a trough receptacle leading back into the esophagus. Instead of the hummingbirds brush-tipped tongue, the sunbird's tongue is divided into two 'forks', sometimes three, depending on the particular specie's eating preferences and needs.

There are about 104 species of sunbirds. All are less than 6" long. The distribution of color in bird species is called, dimorphism. This refers to the fact that the males of the species are more brilliantly colored than their female counterparts. Sunbirds show strong dimorphism; the females being dull gray, brown, or olive green.

Sunbirds are widespread throughout the warmer forest areas of the Old World, but at least fifty percent of them hail from the tropical forests of Africa. There are other species living in southern Asia, from Israel eastward, as well as in Malaysia. While the sunbirds move about freely in their areas as different food supplies become available, there is no real sign of a migration pattern. They are defensive little birds who will fiercely defend their feeding and nesting grounds with great zeal when necessary, even though the different sunbird species do find good company with each other.

Sunbirds' nests are fascinating works of architectural wonder. The nests hang pouch-like, from branches near the ground. It is rare to find a nest more than ten feet off the ground, and even rarer to find one that is well camouflaged. The nests are usually within plain sight, and are composed of plant fibers woven and bound together with bits of spider web, and other accumulated bits of nature's "junk". Nests are lined with downy feathers, plant fibers, fur, or other soft matter. A small portico, or awning, usually covers the opening.

The copyright of the article Song of the Sunbirds in Tropical Birds is owned by Glenda Gibbons. Permission to republish Song of the Sunbirds in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.