Myrtis fanny

By Michael Woodruff, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Named for the Boeotian poet, muse, and teacher

First Described By: Reichenbach, 1854 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Strisores, Daedalornithes, Apodiformes, Trochilidae, Trochilinae 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Purple-Collared Woodstars are known from the western side of the Andes mountains (in lowland elevations) in the Northern half of South America 

Physical Description: Purple-Collared Woodstars, being hummingbirds, are extremely small dinosaurs, about 7.5 and 8 centimeters long and a little more than 2 grams in weight. Both sexes have green backs, but beyond that they look almost nothing alike. Males have long, curved bills, with blue throats and a violet stripe underneath. The rest of the belly is white. Their wings have black tips and their tails are V-shaped. The females, on the other hand, have less curve to their beaks; their bellies and under-throat are orange, and they have orange tips to their wings. They also have more rounded tails. Juveniles look like the females until they reach sexual maturity, where they either stay like that or develop the adult male plumage.  

Diet: These hummingbirds feed upon nectar from a variety of flowers (including cacti flowers), as well as some insects. 

By Hector Ceballos-Lascurain

Behavior: Purple-Collared Woodstars follow consistent routes back and forth from flower to flower, consistent in where they go and constantly on the move. Like other hummingbirds, they move their wings extremely fast in order to hover at the flower and get nectar with their long curved bills. They do rest occasionally, to bathe and sleep, but they are on the move more often than not. That being said, they do not seem to migrate, but do go up and down the altitude levels of the mountains following the blooming of the flowers. Males will fly in large semi-circles around the females, making twittering sounds at the top of the arc and making more trumpet sounds at the end of the arc. They also make chittering calls to one another while moving around, and chase flies while making different tweets. They breed from March through June closer to the equator, and more south they breed from June through October. They make nests out of plants and spider webs, placed in thin branches a few meters off of the ground. These hummingbirds lay two eggs which are incubated by the females for two weeks. The chicks are black and grey, and fledge after three weeks. They begin breeding at two years of age. 

By Arthur Grosset

Ecosystem: Purple-Collared Woodstars live in coastal scrub and the open woodland from the lowlands up to 3000 meters high in the Andes mountains, and they do not venture into more rainforested territory. They prefer the drier ecosystems for their right types of flowers. 

Other: Purple-Collared Woodstars, thankfully, are not threatened with extinction and are very common in their range; they are also very adaptable to human-created habitats. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Microchera albocoronata

By Joseph C. Boone, CC BY-SA 3.0

Etymology: Small Widow

First Described By: Gould, 1858 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Strisores, Daedalornithes, Apodiformes, Trochilidae, Trochilinae 

Status: Extant, Least Concern 

Time and Place: Since 10,000 years ago, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Snowcaps are known primarily from Central America 

Physical Description: Snowcaps are very small birds – being hummingbirds! They range between 6 and 6.5 centimeters in length, making them only a tad bigger than the smallest dinosaurs of all, the Bee Hummingbirds! All sexes are iridescent – brilliantly shiny and colorful. The males are red, with black wings and a black face; while the females are green and blue with red tails, black wings, and white bellies. They have long, narrow, pointed beaks, that are black in color. They, like other hummingbirds, have very tiny feet, that are rarely used. Their wings are short and triangular, built for hovering, as in all other Hummingbirds. They are named for the white patches on the foreheads of the males! 

Diet: Like other hummingbirds, they primarily eat nectar – specifically the nectar of small flowers on trees and shrubs. They will supplement their diet with insects as well. 

By Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, CC BY 2.0

Behavior: Snowcaps spend most of their time hovering around flowers, staying aloft in the air in order to reach into the flower with their beaks and pull out nectar. Males will often defend their food very territorial, but it will run away from larger hummingbirds. They make very soft, warbling melodies, as well as more high-pitched zipping and buzzy noises when fighting each other. They do not tend to migrate, but will go up and down from highlands to lowlands depending on the breeding or nonbreeding season. They tend to breed during the early wet season or late dry season, with the males singing soft warbles on the forest edge to attract mates. They make tiny cups of tree-fern scales, using moss and lichen to bind up the cup – which is hung a few meters up into the tree. Two eggs are laid in the clutch, and the female does most of the incubation for about two weeks. She then feeds the young regurgitated nectar. 

Ecosystem: Snowcap hummingbirds live on forest edges and in tropical rainforest, frequenting the canopy and subcanopy (when male) and the understory when female. They rarely ascend into higher elevations. 

Other: These hummingbirds are not threatened with extinction, remaining very common throughout its range even though deforestation affects some habitats. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London. 

Kistler, Ethan; Schulenberg, Thomas S (2013). “Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata)”. Neotropical Birds Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 

Stiles, F.G. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. 

Cinnyris

Palestine Sunbird by محمد البدارين, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Of Cinyras, King of Cyprus (or an unknown small bird named by Hesychius of Alexandria) 

First Described By: Cuvier, 1816 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Passerida, Nectariniidae 

Greater Double-Collared Sunbird by Derek Keats, CC BY-SA 2.0

Referred Species: C. chloropygius (Olive-Bellied Sunbird), C. minullus (Tiny Sunbird), C. manoensis (Eastern Miombo Sunbird), C. gertrudis (Western Miombo Sunbird), C. chalybeus (Southern Double-Collared Sunbird), C. neergaardi (Neergaard’s Sunbird), C. stuhlmanni (Rwenzori Double-Collared Sunbird), C. whytei (Whyte’s Double-Collared Sunbird), C. prigoginei (Prigogine’s Double-Collared Sunbird), C. ludovicensis (Ludwig’s Double-Collared Sunbird), C. reichenowi (Northern Double-Collared Sunbird), C. afer (Greater Double-Collared Sunbird), C. regius (Regal Sunbird), C. rockefelleri (Rockefeller’s Sunbird), C. mediocris (Eastern Double-Collared Sunbird), C. usambaricus (Usambara Double-Collared Sunbird), C. fuelleborni (Forest Double-Collared Sunbird), C. moreaui (Moreau’s Sunbird), C. pulchellus (Beautiful Sunbird), C. loveridgei (Loveridge’s Sunbird), C. mariquensis (Marico Sunbird), C. shelleyi (Shelly’s sunbird), C. hofmanni (Hofmann’s Sunbird), C. congensis (Congo Sunbird), C. erythrocerca (Red-Chested Sunbird), C. nectarinioides (Black-Bellied Sunbird), C. bifasciatus (Purple-Banded Sunbird), C. tsavoensis (Tsavo Sunbird), C. chalcomelas (Violet-Breasted Sunbird), C. pembae (Pemba Sunbird), C. bouvieri (Orange-Tufted Sunbird), C. oseus (Palestine Sunbird), C. habessinicus (Shining Sunbird), C. coccingaser (Splendid Sunbird), C. johannae (Johanna’s Sunbird), C. superbus (Superb Sunbird), C. rufipennis (Rufous-Winged Sunbird), C. oustaleti (Oustalet’s Sunbird), C. talatala (White-Bellied Sunbird), C. venustus (Variable Sunbird), C. fuscus (Dusky Sunbird), C. ursulae (Ursula’s Sunbird), C. batesi (Bates’s Sunbird), C. cupreus (Copper Sunbird), C. asiaticus (Purple Sunbird), C. jugularis (Olive-Backed Sunbird), C. buettikoferi (Apricot-Breasted Sunbird), C. solaris (Flame-Breasted Sunbird), S. sovimanga (Souimanga Sunbird), S. abbotti (Abbott’s Sunbird), C. dussumieri (Seychelles Sunbird), S. notatus (Malagasy Green Sunbird), C. humbloti (Humblot’s Sunbird), C. comorensis (Anjouan sunbird), C. coquerellii (Mayotte Sunbird), C. lotenius (Loten’s Sunbird) 

Beautiful Double-Collared Sunbird by Dan Strickland, in the Public Domain

Status: Extant, Endangered – Least Concern 

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The double-collared sunbirds are known from a large range of Africa, Madagascar, the Middle East, Southern Asia, and the Pacific 

Physical Description: The Double-Collared Sunbirds are a group of small, very beautifully colored birds with distinctive body shapes – they are fairly squat, usually just short tails and long legs, and most importantly, long curved beaks. They also have very short wings, giving them the ability to fly fast and even hover. This makes them, on a superficial level, very similar in appearance to the very distantly related hummingbirds. Still, they aren’t quite as small as hummingbirds – ranging between 9 and 19 centimeters in length. In general they are very similar in color – with dark bodies and shiny patches of greens, purples, blues, and reds on their throats and chests. The females are usually duller, more of an olive green or light brown all over their bodies. The different species will modify this pattern, some with longer tails, others with more purple or green, or even blue patterns – making this genus a smorgasbord of variety. Many males will even switch back and forth between more dull plumage and iridescent feathers based on the season! They are given their name for a fringe of their feathers being brightly colored, giving them a double-collared appearance. 

Regal Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Diet: The Double-Collared Sunbirds primarily feed upon nectar, though many species will also eat insects when necessary. 

Marico Sunbird by Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0

Behavior: Unlike hummingbirds, which entirely hover while feeding, the Double-Collared Sunbirds will hover to get into position, and then use their long perching feet to grab onto branches to anchor themselves during feeding. When not getting nectar out of flowers, they will forage in small groups on branches and reach around with their long beaks to grab insects. While foraging, they make very short song calls, with fast rising and falling notes, as well as warbles. They will also call to each other with more harsh chirps, which vary from species to species. Many will make “squibble” calls, a common motif found among sunbirds, which can draw out into a further trill at the end. 

Southern Double-Collared Sunbird by Mike Goulding, CC BY-SA 3.0

Double-Collared Sunbirds will lay their eggs based on the flow of the wet season, so it varies wildly from species to species and from population to population. They are primarily monogamous, breeding with one partner each season or potentially over their whole lives. Nests are usually made of grass, bark, and leaves, lined with feathers and wool and more plants, usually nestled onto a branch of a bush or a palm. They lay between 1 and 3 eggs, which are usually ovular and fairly monochromatic in color. The females almost exclusively incubate the eggs, which can be parasitized by Cuckoos and Honeyguides. Both parents will feed the young. They probably stay in the nest for two more weeks, and can live for nearly a decade in the case of some species. Migration isn’t extensive amongst these Sunbirds, but it does occur occasionally, especially between elevations and in response to the movements of water and the seasons. 

Shining Sunbird by Tore, CC BY-SA 2.0

Ecosystem: The Double-Collared Sunbirds are essentially found wherever there are flowers to feed from and insects to glean – various kinds of forests, gardens, savanna, coastal thickets, mangroves, mature forests, mountains, plateaus, Miombo Woodland, gardens, grassland, and more. They are fed upon by lizards, cats, mongooses, and many other predators in their habitats. 

By Alon Friedman, in the Public Domain

Other: Only a few species of this genus are considered threatened with extinction at this time, mainly due to having very limited natural ranges. Beyond this, the Sunbirds are utterly fascinating due to being a clear example of convergent evolution – they are almost identical to Hummingbirds, but from the Perching/Songbird group, and thus extremely different. This is clear in the Double-Collared genus, where many varieties are brilliantly colored in ways very similar to the distantly related Hummingbirds. 

Olive-Bellied Sunbird by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0

Species Differences: 

The Olive-Bellied Sunbird is distinct for literally being a rainbow of colors, with a green back, red chest, yellow underwing stripe, and blue upper chest stripe. They also have large bills than other similarly-colored varieties. These birds live in central Africa, and are more prone to feeding on insects than other members of the genus. 

Tiny Sunbird by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Tiny Sunbird is very similar in appearance to the Olive-Bellied species, but with more blue undertones in the tail region. In addition, they are also significantly smaller. They do, however, have overlapping ranges. 

Eastern Miombo Sunbird by Paul van Giersbergen

Eastern Miombo sunbirds have similar blue stripes but no real yellowish patches, and more blackish backs than the previously discussed species. They also live on the easthern coast of Africa, rather than in the central portion of the continent. 

Western Miombo Sunbird by Jacques Erard

The Western Miombo Sunbird is essentially identical to the former species, but with a shorter bill. They are found in Tanzania across to Angola, also in the Miombo forests. 

Southern Double-Collared Sunbird By Lip Kee Yap, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Southern Double-Collared Sunbird has an especially distinctive red patch, which almost glows with color compared to its relatives. They live in South Africa, and will move up and down the valley based on the distribution of flower growth. These are especially fast birds of the species. 

Neergaard’s Sunbird by Markus Lilje

Neergaard’s Sunbird has a black rump in addition to back and wingtips, making it very visually distinctive; it also has a very short beak compared to other species. It has a very limited range and small population within South Africa and Mozambique, making it, sadly, near threatened with extinction. 

Rwenzori Double-Collared Sunbird by Auf

The Rwenzori Double-Collared Sunbird is especially limited in its range, found only in tropical dry forests in Central Africa. Surprisingly, it isn’t threatened with extinction. It has many distinctive blue patches on its wings, as well as around its neck, and is quite large for this genus of birds. 

Whyte’s Double-Collared Sunbird by Nik Borrow

Whyte’s Double-Collared Sunbird is a more dubious genus, possibly a part of the Montane Double-Collared Sunbird Genus. However, phylogenetic research does indicate it should be split out. It seems to be extensively threatened with habitat loss, and is more distinctively blue than other species. 

Prigogine’s Double-Collared Sunbird is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is distinctive from other Sunbirds in living primarily in the highlands of said country. It is also nearly threatened with extinction due to its limited range. 

Ludwig’s Double-Collared Sunbird by Dubi Shapiro

Ludwig’s, otherwise known as the Montane, Double-Collared Sunbird is present within a limited range in Angola, though it is also found in Malawi and Tanzania. This species looks similar to many of the others we’ve seen here, though with a lighter blue collar and a shorter beak. It is not threatened with extinction, and is found in many locations of high elevation. 

By Faresh, in the Public Domain

The Greater Double-Collared Sunbird matches the pattern of the previous species, though it is much more fecund than its relatives, able to produce multiple broods per season. They are found in South Africa, primarily in more open habitats, and thus they will move up and down the mountains based on the growth of the flowers. 

Northern Double-Collared Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Northern Double-Collared Sunbirds differ from the last few species in having a brown body rather than a grey-er one, though otherwise it is quite identical. It lives mainly in central Africa, in a fairly limited range, but despite this it is not threatened with extinction. They especially favor mountain forest. 

Regal Sunbird by Aviceda, CC BY-SA 3.0

Regal Sunbirds finally break the pattern, with completely yellow rumps and red feathers on their tails. This makes them stand out even more than other sunbirds in this genus. Found in tropical forests and mountain forests in Central Africa, it has an extraordinarily large range. 

Rockefeller’s Sunbird is like the Regal Sunbird in being more colored over its body, but it is red all over, rather than yellow. Found in a very limited range in the Congo, it is sadly vulnerable to extinction at this time and is heavily threatened by habitat loss. 

Eastern Double-Collared Sunbird by Nigel Voaden, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Eastern Double-Collared Sunbird returns to the pattern of the other sunbirds in terms of appearance, and differs mainly in the males taking a large part in the building of nests. They are common throughout Kenya, and prefers cooler weather. 

Usambara Double-Collared Sunbird by M. P. Goodey

The Usambara Double-Collared Sunbird has similar coloration to many of these, but with a somewhat longer bill, and blue undertones underneath the wings. They are near threned, despite being fairly common, due to only occurring in ten separate locations. As such, little is known about its specific behavior. 

Forest Double-Collared Sunbird by Roland Bischoff

The Forest Double-Collared Sunbird is especially distinct because it isn’t as brilliantly colored – instead of being bright green, the males are more of a duller green all over their heads and shoulders. They have lower songs than other Sunbirds, and time their breeding for the availability of insects. 

Moreau’s Sunbird by Nik Borrow

Moreau’s Sunbird is similarly duller in color, though it makes a more high pitched sound than a lower pitched one. They are considered near-threatened due to restricted ranges across central Africa. 

Beautiful Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Beautiful Sunbird is one of the larger species in the genus and certainly earns its name, with brilliant green and blue coloration all over its back and wings, and a bright red patch on its chest. It is found in a wide variety of habitats just below the Saharan desert with high population levels and, as such, it isn’t considered endangered. 

Loveridge’s Sunbird by Nik Borrow

Loveridge’s Sunbird is another yellow-bodied variety, this time with a more brown back color; with a limited mountain range in Tanzania, it is considered endangered at this time. It is mostly threatened with habitat loss, as it mainly inhabits tropical mountain forests. 

Mariqua Sunbird by Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Marico or Mariqua Sunbirds are also especially green, much like the Beautiful Sunbird. It is black in other locations of its body to counter that extra green and blue – ness. They are more nomadic than other species, moving erratically over its range in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Uganda, periodically abandoning droughts as they show up.  

Shelley’s Sunbird by Maans Booysen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Shelley’s Sunbird is another especially green species, with blue undertones in the rump region. The females are somewhat distinctive too, with brown spotting and yellow stripes across the chest. They are found mainly across Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia, and aren’t considered threatened with extinction. Hoffman’s Sunbird is very similar, and often grouped into this species. 

Congo Sunbird by Mark Van Beirs

The Congo Sunbird is found in the Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is one of the most visually distinct members of the genus precisely because it has a very long tail instead of a very short tail. This also makes it one of the longest members of the genus. Color wise, it’s similar in being one of the greener varietes. 

Red-Chested Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Red-Chested Sunbirds are especially distinct for having bright red chests, more so than other species, and a more blue-colored portion to their upper wings. They have longer-ish tails as well, and are found mainly in Tanzania, in savanna habitats. They are not considered threatened with extinction. 

Black Bellied Sunbird by ChriKo, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Black-Bellied Sunbirds are very similar to their Red-Chested cousins, but with longer beaks and slightly longer tails; they are found in a larger range as well. 

Purple-Banded Sunbird by Alan Manson, CC By-SA 2.0

Purple-Banded Sunbirds finally break some of the pattern by having bright purple chests instead of red chests, and no warm colors at all. They also have fairly long bills and short tails. They live over a huge range in central Africa, and aren’t threatened with extinction. 

Tsavo Sunbird by Dominic Sherony, CC BY-SA 2.0

Tsavo Sunbirds continue that pattern, though with a smaller purple patch on their chests. They also live in a large area, mainly favoring acacia trees. Not very much is known about this species. 

Violet-Breasted Sunbird by Nik Borrow

Violet-Breasted Sunbirds differ from the past two in having a more curved bill and even shorter tail, but beyond that very little is known about this species of bird – they are common in Somalia and rarer in Kenya, and haven’t been documented extensively. 

Pemba Sunbird by Nigel Voaden, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Pemba Sunbird is more blueish green on the top than others, though it can also look green depending on the sunlight. They make interesting “tslink” calls, and aren’t considered endangered despite living mainly in a restricted range on islands. 

Orange-Tufted Sunbird by Ron Knight, CC By 2.0

Orange-Tufted Sunbirds are especially distinct for having purple tops of their heads right before their beaks. With red patches underneath the purple stripe, and blue tail feathers, they are quite beautiful to behold. Despite not being endangered, they are very uncommon and live in isolated patches in central Africa. 

Palestine Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Palestine Sunbird is one of the most beautiful and well known species in the genus, found in the Western Asia area and brilliantly blueish-green all over its back and tail, with a purple stripe across its chest. Its bill is slightly curved, and it makes interesting “chwing-chwing-chwing” calls to each other. They wander across the Jordan and Oman, and will occasionally dip into Syria, and while fairly uncommon in most if its range it is especially common in the Israel-Palestine region.

Shining Sunbird by عادل احمد الهلال, CC BY-SA 3.0

Shining Sunbirds return to a more light colored green on their back, though it’s harder to tell in some lighting! Their chests return to a more red color, with females having especially pale underparts. They are found in Ethiopia and Somalia, sometimes extending down into Kenya. The Arabian Sunbird is usually added into this, and is found in the Arabian peninsula. 

Splendid Sunbird by Elizabeth Ellis, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Splendid Sunbird is another very distinct species of this genus with a bright purple head and purple feathers extending down their backs. They have red and purple patches alternating down their necks, and have extremely complicated chip-filled sounds. They are found primarily in Western Africa, especially along the Ivory Coast. 

Johanna’s Sunbird by Éric Roualet

Johanna’s Sunbird takes the red patch and extends it even further, turning most of the belly red and then the black rump feathers are red-tinted as well. They are common in Liberia, and are not particularly well known. 

Superb Sunbird by Francesco Veronesi, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Superb Sunbird is fascinating for having a red belly and rump with black speckles along it. They also have a blue-green patch on the tops of their heads, and very long bills. The females are also bright yellow. They are found in low-mountain forests in Liberia and Uganda, and males are very precocious in their breeding, starting even before adult plumage comes in. 

Rufous-Winged Sunbird by Nik borrow

The Rufous-Winged Sunbird is vulnerable to extinction due to threats from habitat loss in their mountain forests. They are fascinating to look at for having non-iridescent brown wings and brown chests, making them stand out amongst their relatives. Their heads are more blueish than greenish as well. 

Oustalet’s Sunbird by Lars Petersson

Oustalet’s Sunbird is a rarer species with a brilliantly white rump, found mainly in Angola – it is, unfortunately very poorly known. 

White-Bellied Sunbird By Lip Kee Yap, CC BY-SA 2.0

White-Bellied Sunbirds also have white bellies, like the Oustalet’s, but is much better known. In fact, it is documented as the prey of mongooses and cats, and is subjected to brood parasitism by cuckoos. It is thriving from the fragmentation of its habitat, leading to increases in population. 

Variable Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Variable Sunbirds are fascinating for having yellow rumps and bellies again, with brilliant patterns of blue and purple and green over their heads and chests. The differences in plumage across populations lead to its name! They will be both resident and migratory depending on location, and are found across Zimbabwe to Nigeria. 

Dusky Sunbird by Alan Manson, CC BY-SA 2.0

Dusky Sunbirds aren’t very brilliant in color, with dullish green heads and necks and grey feathers elsewhere. They make more trilling calls and are found mainly in Southern Africa. They tend to move about based on the availability of flowering plants and droughts.  

Ursula’s Sunbird by Dubi Shapiro

Ursula’s Sunbird is not iridescent at all! The sexes are similar, with grey crowns and olive green bodies. They have slight orange patches underneath their wings. These birds still fill the same niche as other in this genus, and are found entirely within the Cameroon Mountains. 

Bates’ Sunbird is also non-iridescent, with olive green feathers in both males and females. It is also found in Cameroon, primarily in primary forests, and isn’t considered threatened with extinction. It will supplement its diet with berries and fruits in addition to insects and spiders! 

Copper Sunbird by H. Mallison, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Copper Sunbird breaks the mold entirely, with the males being red and purple and sometimes even yellow rather than green or blue at all. They migrate across Africa due to the movement of the rains, and are extremely common in most of their ranges. 

Purple Sunbird by J. M. Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0

Purple Sunbirds were also named aptly, with blue-purple feathers over almost all of their bodies. The females look like a completely different bird entirely, with yellow rumps and chests and necks, and brown backs and wings. They are found across India and Pakistan, making them very far removed from the birds previously discussed in this article. 

Olive-Backed Sunbird by Lip Keep Yap, CC By-SA 2.0

Olive-Backed Sunbirds are what their name suggest – olive on their backs! Any iridescence in the males is restricted to the fronts of the face and the upper necks. Their bellies and rumps are, by and large, yellow in color. They reed throughout the year and are found across Southeastern Asia, the Pacific, and even into Australia, greatly extending the range of this genus of birds. They are often preyed upon by monitor lizards. The Rand’s Sunbird is sometimes grouped in this genus – these birds differ in the males having black bellies and rumps. 

Apricot-Breasted Sunbird by Ron Knight, CC BY 2.0

The Apricot-Breasted Sunbird is similar to the Olive-Backed but has slight reddish tints under the blue patch. They are not as well known but are known to forage high in the tree levels. They are only found on the island of Sumba. 

Flame-Breasted Sunbird by Pete Morris

Flame-Breasted Sunbirds continue on this theme of the last few, extending the orange coloration down to the rump area, giving them that distinctive “flame” appearance. Found on the island of timor, they are fairly poorly known birds. 

Souimanga Sunbird by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Souimanga Sunbirds go back to the more familiar theme, but with distinctive black patches under the red iridescent stripes. They make very warbling calls and the males are less involved in the breeding than in other species. This species is found entirely on the island of Madagascar. Abbott’s Sunbird is usually grouped into this species. 

Humblot’s Sunbird by Paul van Giersbergen

Humblot’s Sunbird is also fairly firey in color, with only reddish-purple iridescent feathers on their heads and necks. They especially enjoy insect larvae as an extra sources of food. They are found only on the Comoro Islands, giving them a very restricted range. 

Seychelles Sunbird by Alfonso Barrada

The Seychelles Sunbird is very dull in color, grey almost all over, except for a small purple patch on the neck. They make a very squeaky call, distinct from other species in the genus. They’re also polygomous, mating with a variety of different partners in one breeding season, unlike the more monogamous other species. These birds are found in the Victorian islands.  

Malagasy Green Sunbird by Francesco Veronesi, CC By-SA 2.0

The Long-Billed Green Sunbird, or Malagasy Green Sunbird, is found in the Comoros Islands and Madagascar. It also returns to the more usual plumage of this genus, with a soft warbling song. They are found in a very wide variety of habitat and are indeed very common within Madagascar. The Grand Comoro Sunbird is also grouped into this species, and is in general darker. Sometimes, the Moheli Sunbird is also grouped into this genus. 

Anjouan Sunbird by Paul van Giersbergen

The Anjouan Sunbird is only found on the Anjouan Islands, giving it yet another very restricted range. It follows similar color patterns to other species in this genus, and it is very common throughout the island on which it lives. 

Mayotte Sunbird by Dubi Shapiro

The Mayotte Sunbird is another restricted-range species, found only on the island of Mayotte. It also looks similar to the other species in the genus, though it has a distinctive orange patch across its belly and a yellow rump. They also make particularly harsh noises. 

Loten’s Sunbird by Arshad Ka, CC BY 3.0

And finally, Loten’s Sunbird, found in India and Sri Lanka, is a brilliantly turquoise bird, with the blue coloration extending into the tail. It has a purple neck and red chest, and the females are dark brown with light yellow chests. Interestingly enough, they have extremely long bills, but they still eat a wide variety of foods other than nectar. They are quite common within their ranges, making very rapid ticking calls. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Eurotrochilus

By Scott Reid

Etymology: European Hummingbird 

First Described By: Mayr, 2004 

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Strisores, Daedalornithes, Apodiformes, Trochilidae 

Referred Species: E. inexpectatus, E. noniewiczi 

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: Between 31 and 28 million years ago, in the Rupelian of the Oligocene 

Eurotrochilus is known from the Menilite Formation, the Bott-Eder Grube Unterfeld, and Le Grand Banc locations across Poland, Germany, and France 

Physical Description: Eurotrochilus is a bird that is remarkable precisely because, to us, it is utterly unremarkable. Put in a clearer way, Eurotrochilus is almost identical to living Hummingbirds – but it’s thirty million years old. An extremely small bird, Eurotrochilus had wings shaped like hummingbirds – small, triangular, and built for hovering flight. It was about nine centimeters in length, making it as big as living hummingbirds like the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. In addition to having small, triangular wings, Eurotrochilus had tiny legs, like living Hummingbirds, and a very long beak. So, its identical nature to living hummingbirds points to the hummingbird body plan as an ancient one, that hasn’t been improved upon much during the Cenozoic era. Still, it wasn’t a true hummingbird yet – aka in the group that contains modern hummingbirds and those more closely related to one sort than the other – because it still had long finger bones, and smaller connections between those bones. So, while the general hummingbird shape was present for thirty million years, it still had some modifications left to go. 

Diet: With its very long, specialized bill, Eurotrochilus would have fed on nectar, like living hummingbirds. 

Behavior: We can be fairly confident that Eurotrochilus was capable of hovering, and did so with some regularity; it would hover near flowers and rarely perch on them while gathering nectar up with its long beak. The beak would go into the center of the flower to draw up nectar, and in the process Eurotrochilus would pick up pollen. Then, upon going to the next flower to drink more nectar, Eurotrochilus would drop off the pollen, thus helping the flowers to reproduce. It would have spent most of its time hovering, and when not hovering would rest on branches or in more foliage-filled areas. It would have been a fairly active animal, and loud as well, making a variety of chirps and calls to one another. They probably would have been very brightly colored, like living hummingbirds, and the males probably wouldn’t have been very involved in nest care. 

By Ripley Cook

Ecosystem: Eurotrochilus primarily lived in forested areas, near lagoons, lakes, and estruary-filled areas. These lush habitats were filled with a variety of flowering plants for Eurotrochilus to feed on, and the forests were densely populated with birches, oaks, cypresses, conifers, palms, roses, asterids, and beeches. Eurotrochilus was a common site in these environments, which featured a variety of birds that resembled living forms and yet, were not quite like their modern counterparts. In the Bott-Eder environment of Germany, a coastal bay area, Eurotrochilus lived with birds such as the barbet Rupelramphastoides, the buttonquail Turnipax, the tody Palaeotodus, the mousebird Oligocolius, the trogon Primotrogon, the loon Colymboides, the seabird Rueplornis, and the songbird Wieslochia. This is a notable environment with a variety of transitional tree and ocean going birds, making it a fascinating habitat in which to study the evolution of dinosaurs in the Cenozoic. There were also sea cows, bats, and a Hyaenodont Apterodon, though Eurotrochilus would have been so small its unlikely that the Hyaenodont would have posed a problem for it. In the dense lake environment of Menilite, Eurotrochilus lived with the passerines Jamna, Resoviaornis, and Winnicavis, as well as the woodpecker Picavus. Here there was an extensive amount of thermal activity, which would negatively affect the ecosystem with gas bubbles and oil wells. In the lagoon environment of Le Grand, there was also Primotrogon, the early cuckoo Eocuculus, the crane Parvigrus, and the stem-passerine Zygodactylus. 

Other: As the oldest representative of a proper, nectar-eating hummingbird shape, Eurotrochilus is vital for our understanding of the evolution of hummingbirds. In fact, its presence points to the idea that flowers pollinated by birds co-evolved with hummingbirds in the Eastern Hemisphere, even though hummingbirds aren’t present on that side of the globe today. Hummingbirds like Eurotrochilus, however, disappeared from that half of the globe during tropical climate collapse in Europe and the effects of the ice age. Interestingly enough, they were replaced in the Eastern Hemisphere by Sunbirds, a group of passerines that convergently evolved similar adaptations for hovering and nectar-eating, and also brightly colored feathers. 

Species Differences: The two species of Eurotrochilus mainly differ on the proportions of the limbs, with E. noniewiczi having longer upper arm bones than E. inexpecatus, but shorter lower arm bones. They lived at the same time and fairly close to each other, so this difference is important in telling apart the varying kinds of these early hummingbirds. 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Anthobaphes violacea

By Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Bright-Colored

First Described By: Cabanis, 1850

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Passerida, Nectariniidae

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Orange-Breasted Sunbird is known from the Cape of South Africa 

Physical Description: The Orange-Breasted Sunbird is an amazingly distinctive bird, very small at only 16.5 centimeters long for males and 13.5 centimeters long for females. The males are distinctive in general, with long dark tails and vibrant colors – their chests are orange and purple, with green heads; their bodies are yellow and, in general, they are iridescent and shiny. The females are yellow all over, and aren’t shiny at all. Both have long, curved beaks for feeding on nectar. 

By Raymond Ellis, in the Public DOmain

Diet: The Orange-Breasted Sunbird primarily feeds on nectar, though it will occasionally supplement its diet with insects. 

By Aland Manson, CC BY-SA 4.0

Behavior: These birds will forage alone or in small groups, mainly on the ground and in plants while reaching for food. They do occasionally form loose groups during the non-breeding season. They make high-pitched melodious notes, including “tzzurr tzzurr” or “Jeeeu jeeu” calls. They also make “seep-seep-seep-seep” calls back and forth, and males – when they chase each other – make calls that sound like “Ke-ke-ke-ke”. 

By Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0

The Orange-Breasted Sunbird mates all year round, though it peaks mating from May through August. Usually, they’ll lay two to three broods a year. The male makes territorial displays, including wing-stretching to reveal tufts of feathers. The female will then build the nest alone over the course of two weeks, making an ovular porch with a small entrance out of twigs and roots. They’re usually held together with cobwebs and down. Then, one to two eggs are laid and incubated by the female for two weeks. The chicks are brooded and fed by both parents for three weeks; they are then dependent on the parents for another three weeks after leaving the nest. They will migrate at least somewhat in search of flowering plants – aka, food. 

By Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0

Ecosystem: These sunbirds live in the Fynbos, a belt of shrublands along the Cape of Africa. They are occasionally found in gardens as well, and in the Karoo basin. Cuckoos do parasitize their nests. 

By Prosthetic Head, CC BY-SA 4.0

Other: The Orange-Breasted Sunbird, while in a restricted range, is not considered threatened with extinction. That being said, habitat disturbance and loss has caused some population drops.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut: 

Sephanoides

Juan Fernández Firecrown by Héctor Gutiérrez Guzmán, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Resembling a Diadem

First Described By: Gray, 1840

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Strisores, Daedalornithes, Apodiformes, Trochilidae, Trochilinae  

Referred Species: S. sephaniodes (Green-Backed Firecrown), S. fernandensis (Juan Fernández Firecrown)

Status: Extant, Critically Endangered – Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Firecrowns live in southern South America, as well as Isla Robinson Crusoe 

Physical Description: Firecrown Hummingbirds are distinctive for the reason you would indeed expect – their fiery heads! Both species have fancy feathers on their foreheads. Like all hummingbirds, these are quite small – ranging from 10 to 12 centimeters in length. The males generally have reddish coloration, while the females are more greenish. A lot of the differences between the sexes are species-based, however, and can be found in that section of this article. Like other hummingbirds they have long, thin, grey bills, and very long fluffy tails. Their wings are small and triangular for hovering. .

Diet: The Firecrowns are nectivores, feeding on a variety of flower nectar that they glean with their long beaks. They hover in order to stay near on a flower for a long time, in order to get enough food. The Juan Fernández species will also eat insects, especially during the chick rearing season. 

Green-Backed Firecrown by Suemili, CC BY-SA 3.0

Behavior: These birds make songs of high-pitched, squeaky notes, and dry trills, as well as descending chatters. The Green-Backed Firecrown does migrate, wintering in the lowlands of Argentina, and moving back up to the north during the summer. The Juan Fernández species does not migrate.

These birds breed from September through November, making very small cup-shaped nests containing two white eggs. These nests can either be found in cover or over water. Very little else is known of their breeding behavior, though homosexual activity between males has been documented in this species. 

Green-Backed Firecrown by Felipe Bernala, CC BY

Ecosystem: The Firecrowns live in thick jungles and rainforests, usually at mid levels of vegetation; they can also be found in large numbers wherever trees are flowering (for fairly obvious reasons). They can be found near human-created habitats as well. The Juan Fernández Firecrown have their nests preyed upon by Austral Thrushes.

Other: The Green-Backed Firecrown is very common and is threatened currently by man-made environmental pressures; the Juan Fernández Firecrown is critically endangered, with a population of less than 2000 mature individuals. They seem to be threatened due to human activity, especially plant destruction, habitat disturbance, wood harvesting, introduced mammal predators and competitors, and other terrifying environmental distressors. Direct conservation actions are ongoing, and there are talks of breeding programs. 

Juan Fernández Firecrown Arthur Grosset, CC BY-SA 3.0

Species Differences: The Green-Backed Firecrown is smaller than the Juan Fernández species, and it is also green all over its body in both sexes. Their wings are grey, and the major difference between males and females is that the males have iridescent orange crowns on their heads. The Juan Fernández Firecrown has completely orange males, with iridescent crowns; the females are green backed, with blue tails and blue iridescent crowns. They also have grey wings in both sexes. The Green-Backed Firecrown lives on the mainland of South America, while the Juan Fernández Firecrown is only found on Isla Robinson Crusoe.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Palmeria dolei

By Douglas Pratt

Etymology: For Henry C. Palmer

First Described By: Wilson, 1891

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Passerida, Passerid Clade, Fringillidae, Carduelinae, Drepanidini  

Status: Extant, Critically Endangered

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The ‘Akohekohe is known only on the island of Maui in Hawai’i 

Physical Description: ‘Akohekohe are a species of Hawai’ian Honeycreepers, a type of extremely unique passerine threatened with extinction due to mammalian invaders on the island. ‘Akohekohe are medium-sized perching birds, extremely distinctive in appearance – 18 centimeters long, with males somewhat heavier than females; both sexes have the same set of extremely distinctive patterns. The birds have white fluffy tufts of feathers above their long, thin, curved beak; black patches underneath the fluff on the head, with an orange patch around the eye. The neck and cheeks have black and white spottled feathers in distinctive patterns, while the back of the neck is red in color. The back itself is red and black, while the belly is red, white, and black. The wings have black and red spots on the shoulder, with black and white feathers on the wing. Finally, the butt is white, the back of the rump is red, and the tail feathers are short and black with white tips. One of the most distinctive and brilliantly patterned birds out there! The females have similar patterns, but are duller in color.

Diet: These are nectar specialists, feeding on the nectar of Ohia flowers, raspberry flowers, pukiawe, ohelo, kolea, and kanawao. Sometimes it will eat caterpillars, flies, and spiders. 

By John Gerrard Keulemans, in the Public Domain

Behavior: The ‘Akohekohe will feed in lines on blooming trees, usually going from tree to tree in a regular cycle – even defending territories of trees they claim as their own to prevent other members of the species from feeding there. They make weirdly human-like whistles to one another, before making eerie echoing whistles in response. As for songs, they make reedy whistles and even cowbell-like grunts and squawks to one another. They even make weird ahh-ko-he-ko-heh calls, hence its name!

This bird breeds in small colonies, with each colony adjacent to one another. The males make huge, aerial acrobatic displays to attract females, before singing high in the forest canopy; the mated pairs will feed each other throughout the breeding cycle from November through June. Females build the nests out of twigs, tossed with moss and lichens, usually about 14 meters above the ground in the upper layers of the canopy. They lay one or two grey eggs that are incubated by the female and guarded by the male for two weeks; both parents then feed the babies for three more weeks. These birds mainly migrate in search of open Ohia flowers.

Ecosystem: The ‘Akohekohe live in ohia-lehue dominated forests with koa trees and dense olapa in the understorey; which means they’re almost all above 1500 meters in elevation. 

By the U.S. Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, in the Public Domain

Other: The ‘Akohekohe used to be much more common and have a much larger range than today; populations initially took a hit after the settlement of Polynesians, as they cut down forests to make farmland, destroying the habitat of the birds. However, they did bounce back some from that, and it was sustainable. The arrival of Europeans lead to even more deforestation and the arrival of rats and cats. These animals attacked the eggs, chicks, and adults of many birds, and also ate the flowers (in the case of the rats) that the birds rely on. The unusual appearance of the ‘Akohekohe also lead to collectors poaching it, leading to even more decline. Mosquitoes introduced to Hawai’i spread dangerous diseases to the birds. Invasive birds released by European settlers on the island also lead to sharp declines in population.

Today, there are not many of these birds left; climate change also severely threatens them. It’s protected by law today, well, by like ten different laws; recovery plans are in place to try and keep the birds safe, and many of their habitats are very well closed off. Hopefully, continued responsible practices will keep this bird around, but it’s a delicate situation.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut 

Calothorax

Lucifer Hummingbird by Greg Schechter, CC BY 2.0

Etymology: Beautiful Breast

First Described By: Gould, 1859

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Strisores, Daedalornithes, Apodiformes, Trochilidae, Trochilinae  

Referred Species: C. pulcher (Beautiful Hummingbird), C. lucifer (Lucifer Hummingbird)

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

The Lucifer and Beautiful Hummingbirds are known entirely from Mexico, though the Lucifer Hummingbird does creep into the southwestern corner of the United States 

Physical Description: Calothorax is a genus of hummingbirds, small dinosaurs that essentially convergently with insects. Calothorax ranges from 8 to 10 centimeters in length. Like most Hummingbirds, it has an ovular body, a small head, and a very long, skinny bill. The bodies of Calothorax are green in both sexes. The males have bright purple patches on their throats, while the females have orange splotches across their bellies and under their wings. Both have white patches along their throats and breasts. The females also have generally shorter bills. They have short, triangular wings for hovering, and tiny tail feathers. 

Beautiful Hummingbird by Michael Retter

Diet: Like most hummingbirds, Calothorax feeds on nectar taken from flowers such as the Penstemon, Sierra Woolly Indian Paintbrush, Big Bend Anisacanthus, Yellow-Flowered Century Plant, and a variety of other flowers from cacti, grasses, and brushes. They do supplement their diet with flies.

Behavior: These birds hover near sources of nectar and use their long beaks to reach into the petals of the flower. They move their wings so fast that they are able to over, an ability that birds are not usually able to achieve. This also means that they have very strong chest muscles and extremely rapidly pumping hearts to help power this high-intensity movement. These birds make repeated, high-pitched squeaky tweets, as well as faint chirps and rattles. The wings themselves make hums like the wings of bees while they hover. 

Lucifer Sheartail by Geoff Gallic, CC BY 2.0

The males, when wanting to mate with a female, will move back and forth in a horizontal hovering line. He then goes high up, before diving suddenly before her. The male then spreads his forked tail, making wacky calls to attract her. These birds breed from April through August, starting the breeding season later in the year the farther south they live. They tend to group their nests together, placing them on rocky slopes near streams, and built out of river-associated plants. They lay two small, white eggs, which are incubated by the female for two weeks, before spending three more weeks in the nest. The young birds then stay near the mother for three more weeks, where they can still be fed by the mother.

The Lucifer Hummingbird move across Mexico and into the United States based on the change of the dry and wet season, though some do remain in one spot. The Beautiful Hummingbird does not migrate.

Ecosystem: These birds live in arid and tropical scrub forest, usually at fairly higher elevations. 

Lucifer Hummingbird by Caleb Putnam, CC BY 2.0

Other: These birds are not threatened due to a large range of foraging and breeding habitats, though the Beautiful Hummingbird is not as well known as the Lucifer Hummingbird.

Species Differences: The Lucifer and Beautiful Hummingbirds are virtually identical, and mainly differ in that the Lucifer Hummingbird is on average larger than the Beautiful Hummingbird – by a single centimeter – and also has a significantly larger range. Not to mention, the Beautiful Hummingbird remains confined in southern Mexico, while the Lucifer Hummingbird migrates from southern Mexico in the winter to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States in the summer.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources 

Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.

Prum, R.O. et al. 2015. A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing. Nature 526: 569–573.

Scott, P.E. & Boesman, P. (2019). Beautiful Hummingbird (Calothorax pulcher). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Scott, P.E. & Boesman, P. (2019). Lucifer Hummingbird (Calothorax lucifer). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Rhabdornis

Stripe-Headed Rhabdornis, by Mark A. Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0

Etymology: Stripe Bird

First Described By: Reichenbach, 1853

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Passerides, Core Passerides, Muscicapida, Muscicapoidea, Sturnidae

Referred Species: R. grandis (Grand Rhabdornis), R. inornatus (Stripe-Breasted Rhabdornis), R. mystacalis (Stripe-Headed Rhabdornis), R. rabori (Visayan Rhabdornis)  

Status: Extant, Vulnerable – Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years; in the Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period

Found entirely within the Philippines

Physical Description: Rhabdornis is a genus of small, distinctive songbirds that range between 15 and 19 centimeters in length from head to tail, making them about the length of a standard yellow pencil. They are all brownish in color, with slightly lighter colored feathers on the tops of their heads, and they have white belly feathers with brown stripes extending horizontally along the body. They have short tail feathers and long, thin bills, which end in a sharp curve. In general, the males and females are fairly similar in appearance, with the females only a little lighter in color. They are somewhat elongate in terms of overall body shape, rather than round; though they are still in general somewhat squat.

Diet: These birds eat a variety of small food, including insects, fruits, nectar, and seeds; are primarily opportunistic in terms of foraging for a variety of food material.

Stripe-Breasted Rhabdornis by Mark A. Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0

Behavior: These birds tend to forage together in small groups; depending on the species, the groups can range between 6 to 20 individuals, with some even forming mixed-species flocks during foraging if food is abundant. For example, when insects emerge from their cocoons, hundreds of birds can be found congregating together, with a variety of birds present. Rhabdornis utilizes its long beak to help get at food sources within tree cavities and dirt. They also use their brush like tongues to get food out of the bark, including nectar. Sometimes they are even able to catch insects on the wing. They form nests out of sticks and bark strips within tree holes, usually between 10 and 15 meters off of the ground; both adults aid in building the nest. Mating occurs from March through April, though at least one species waits to mate until May. None of these species migrate and, as small songbirds, this is a fairly skittish group of birds. They make high pitched calls that sound like “zeet” or “tzit”, which is hilarious to me personally because “tzitzit” are fringes in Hebrew, a structure needed on the corners of certain garments under Jewish law. That has nothing to do with the bird, I just found the fact that their calls are apparently “tzitzit” amazing for that reason.

Ecosystem: These birds entirely live in tropical forests, though at what elevation and where within the forest canopy depends on the species in question.

Other: These birds are rather difficult to place in terms of classification; debate rages over whether they count as their own family, or instead as members of the Starling group. 

Stripe-Headed Rhabdornis by Mark A. Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0

Species Differences:

The different species of Rhabdornis differ mainly on range, subtle changes in coloration, and habitat. The Grand Rhabdornis sports a distinctive grey head; it lives primarily on the island of Luzon, and lives in middle to high elevation hardwood forests. The Stripe-Breasted Rhabdornis lives mainly in Mindanao as well as Visayas, and has a taupe colored head – though it also lives in mountain and middle elevation forests. Still, it prefers the canopy of these forests, where the Grand Rhabdornis is found throughout the forest levels. The Stripe-Headed Rhabdornis has a brown head with stripes running across it; it lives throughout the Philippine islands and is found usually at sea level, in new forest areas and along the forest edge. Finally, the Visayan Rhabdornis lives in middle to high elevation forests, mostly at the forest edge and new growth in the canopy level; it has a snowy colored head and is found mainly in the Visayas islands. While the first three species are all not threatened with extinction, the Visayan Rhabdornis is vulnerable to extinction due to its restricted range and small subpopulations.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_creeper

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stripe-headed_rhabdornis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_rhabdornis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stripe-breasted_rhabdornis

del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Christie, D.A. (2018). Visayan Rhabdornis (Rhabdornis rabori). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) 2018. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Kennedy, R. & Miranda, H. 2018. Grand Rhabdornis (Rhabdornis grandis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Kennedy, R., Miranda, H. & Christie, D.A. 2018. Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis (Rhabdornis inornatus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Kennedy, R. & Miranda, H. 2018. Stripe-headed Rhabdornis (Rhabdornis mystacalis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

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