Northern double-collared sunbird facts for kids
The northern double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi) is a beautiful little bird. It belongs to the Nectariniidae family, which are often called sunbirds. You can find this bird in many countries in Africa, including Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda.
Quick facts for kids Northern double-collared sunbird |
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| Male Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cinnyris
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| Species: |
reichenowi
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| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Nectarinia preussi |
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What Does It Look Like?
The northern double-collared sunbird is a medium-sized bird. The adult male is very colorful! His head and back are a shiny, metallic green. This green can look steely-blue in certain light. His lower back is greyish-brown, and his tail is black with a blue shine.
Below his metallic green throat, he has a narrow purple band. Underneath that is a bright scarlet (red) chest. His belly is a pale brown. He also has small, pale yellow tufts of feathers under his wings, but you can't always see them. His eyes, beak, and legs are black.
The adult female is not as bright as the male. Her upper body is a dark olive green. Her tail is dark brown. Her underside is greyish-olive, and her belly might have a hint of yellow. Young birds look similar to the adult female.
How Scientists Name Birds
The northern double-collared sunbird, Cinnyris reichenowi, is part of a big group of birds called 'double-collared sunbirds'. These birds live all over Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. Scientists use special names to group animals together. This helps them understand how different species are related.
Scientists believe this sunbird is closely related to the southern double-collared sunbird. That bird lives in South Africa. More research is always happening to confirm these family ties.
Life in the Wild
You can often spot the northern double-collared sunbird with other types of birds. They fly around in small groups. These groups might include birds like white-eyes (from the genus Zosterops) or the oriole finch.
This sunbird likes to perch in the middle branches of trees. From there, it looks around for food. It eats nectar from flowers, which is a sweet liquid. It also enjoys eating insects, their larvae (young forms), and spiders.
Male sunbirds are very protective of their space. They sing loudly to show off their territory. They can be quite aggressive, especially towards other male sunbirds of their own kind. Sometimes, these fights can even start in the air and end up on the ground! They also fight with other sunbird species, like the Cameroon sunbird and the olive-bellied sunbird.
Conservation Status
The northern double-collared sunbird is a common bird. It lives across a very large area. Scientists believe that the number of these birds is staying steady. No major threats have been found for this species. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the bird's conservation status is "least concern". This means it's not currently in danger.
