Garden sunbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Garden sunbird |
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| Adult male and female, Philippines | |
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| Genus: |
Cinnyris
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| Species: |
jugularis
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The garden sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) is a small, colorful bird. It used to be called the olive-backed sunbird. This bird lives in the Philippines, but not on the Palawan island.
Garden sunbirds have olive-green feathers on their wings and back. Their chest is bright yellow. They have a long, curved beak. They use this beak to drink nectar from flowers. They also catch insects and spiders, especially when feeding their babies.
Contents
About the Garden Sunbird
How it Got its Name
In 1760, a French scientist named Mathurin Jacques Brisson wrote about this bird. He called it "The little tree-creeper of the Philippines." Later, in 1766, a Swedish scientist named Carl Linnaeus gave it a shorter, scientific name: Certhia jugularis.
The word jugularis comes from an old Latin word. It means "of the throat." This name likely refers to the bird's throat area. Today, the garden sunbird is part of the Cinnyris group of birds.
Different Kinds of Garden Sunbirds
The garden sunbird used to include many different types. These types lived all the way from Southeast Asia to Australia. Scientists looked at how the male birds looked. They also studied their DNA.
Because of these studies, the garden sunbird was split into eight different species. This means that what was once thought to be one species is now eight distinct ones. The garden sunbird is now found only in the Philippines.
Today, scientists recognize three main types, or subspecies, of the garden sunbird:
- C. j. obscurior – found in northern Luzon and the Babuyan Islands.
- C. j. jugularis – found in central and southern Luzon, Mindoro, Visayas, and Mindanao.
- C. j. woodi – found in the Sulu Archipelago.
What the Garden Sunbird Looks Like
Garden sunbirds are small songbirds. They are about 10 to 11.4 centimeters (4 to 4.5 inches) long. Males weigh between 6.7 and 11.9 grams. Females are a bit lighter, weighing 6 to 10 grams.
Male Garden Sunbirds
Male garden sunbirds have an olive-green color on their upper body. Their wing feathers are black with green edges. Their tail is black with white tips. The area around their eyes, neck, chin, throat, and chest is dark and shiny. They also have yellow tufts of feathers on their sides. The lower part of their body is dark yellow. Their eyes are dark brown, and their beak and legs are black.
Younger males or males not ready to breed might have less shiny black on their throat. It might just be a stripe.
Female Garden Sunbirds
Female garden sunbirds have a greenish-olive upper body. They have a pale yellow stripe above their eyes. Their wing feathers have yellowish edges. Their tail has black and white markings. The lower part of their body is deep yellow. This color is a bit lighter under their tail feathers.
Young garden sunbirds look like the females. But they are usually paler and more brownish.
Where Garden Sunbirds Live
The garden sunbird lives only in the Philippines. You can find them almost everywhere in the country, except Palawan.
- The obscurior subspecies lives in the northern Philippines.
- The woodi subspecies lives in the Sulu Archipelago in the southern Philippines.
- The jugularis subspecies lives in the rest of the country.
These birds first lived in mangrove forests. But they have learned to live near people. Now, they are common even in busy areas. They sometimes even build their nests inside people's homes!
Garden Sunbird Behavior and Life Cycle
Reproduction and Nests
Garden sunbirds are known to lay eggs in May and June. The female bird builds the nest all by herself. The nest looks like a hanging oval pouch. It has a hidden opening on the side. Often, it has a long, dangling "beard" of material.
The female builds the nest using many things. She uses grass, cotton, moss, and small pieces of leaves. She also uses plant fibers and spider webs. She lines the inside with bark or soft feathers.
Feeding Habits
Sunbirds are a group of small birds. They mostly eat nectar from flowers. Nectar is a sweet liquid. But they also eat insects, especially when they are feeding their young.
Sunbirds fly very fast and straight. They have short wings. Most sunbirds can hover in the air to drink nectar. But they usually prefer to sit on a branch while they eat.
See also
In Spanish: Suimanga dorsioliva para niños
