Gurney's sugarbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gurney's sugarbird |
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| At Cavern Resort, KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, South Africa. | |
| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Promerops
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| Species: |
gurneyi
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The Gurney's sugarbird (Promerops gurneyi) is a cool bird found only in southern Africa. It's a medium-sized passerine bird, which means it's part of the largest group of birds, often called "perching birds." You can spot them in grassy areas high up in the mountains.
This bird is part of a special family called Promeropidae. This family has only one group (genus) called Promerops, and just two types (species) of sugarbirds. Gurney's sugarbirds love to sip nectar from Protea bushes. They also snack on small insects. You can easily recognize them by their long, fancy tail and a beak that curves downwards.
The bird's common name and its scientific name honor a British banker and bird enthusiast named John Henry Gurney (1819-1890).
Contents
What Gurney's Sugarbird Looks Like
Gurney's sugarbird has a long, curved beak. This beak is perfect for drinking nectar, just like a straw! Its forehead is a warm chestnut color. It also has a faint white stripe above its eye and a white stripe near its mouth.
Its throat is white, which stands out against its reddish-brown chest. The back of the bird is dark gray. A bright yellow patch on its rump makes it easy to spot. Its tail is long and gets shorter towards the end, measuring about 11 to 19.3 cm. The whole bird is usually between 23 and 29 cm long.
Male Gurney's sugarbirds are a bit bigger than females. Males weigh between 30 and 46.5 grams, while females are 23 to 43 grams. Females also have shorter beaks and tail feathers. Males have a special triangular bump on their sixth wing feather. They use this bump to make a "clacking" sound during their mating displays. Young sugarbirds look a bit duller than adults. Their chest and yellow rump might have a greenish tint.
Different Types of Gurney's Sugarbirds
There are two main types, or subspecies, of Gurney's sugarbird. They have small differences in how they look.
- P. g. gurneyi looks like the description above.
- P. g. ardens tends to be darker. It has a greener rump and a richer chestnut chest.
Gurney's sugarbirds lose and regrow their wing feathers during the breeding season. However, their long tail feathers are replaced all year round. This is because these long feathers can get damaged easily. They are very important for mating displays, so they need to be replaced quickly.
Sugarbird Family Tree
Promerops gurneyi is one of two species in the Promerops group. This group is the only one in the unique Promeropidae family. Gurney's sugarbird's closest relative is the Cape sugarbird (Promerops cafer).
For many years, scientists were puzzled about where sugarbirds fit in the bird family tree.
- They were once thought to be related to sunbirds. This was because they look similar and both evolved in Africa.
- They were also grouped with Australian honeyeaters. This was due to their unique tongue structure, behavior, and how they build nests. However, there was no proof they shared a common ancestor. These similarities likely came from convergent evolution. This means they developed similar traits independently.
Later studies looked at proteins from their egg whites and red blood cells. These studies showed that sugarbirds are actually related to African starlings. Genetically, the Promerops group is most closely related to the Cinnyricinclus and Onychognathus groups. Today, sugarbirds are classified as their own special family.
Currently, two subspecies of Gurney's sugarbird are known: Promerops gurneyi gurneyi and Promerops gurneyi ardens. The P. g. ardens subspecies was identified in 1952. It came from a group of Gurney's sugarbirds living in isolated, high-altitude areas. These areas are in Eastern Zimbabwe and nearby Mozambique. The two subspecies live in different areas and different types of habitats.
Where Gurney's Sugarbirds Live
Gurney's sugarbird is a bird found only in Southern Africa. They live in scattered areas, mostly in high places. You can find them in regions like the Transvaal and Natal, including the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces. The isolated group of P. g. ardens lives in the highlands of Eastern Zimbabwe and nearby Mozambique.
Gurney's sugarbirds are short-distance migrants. This means they move to different altitudes depending on the season. They leave their breeding areas once the flowers they feed on stop blooming.
Their favorite places to live are shrublands in Southern Africa. These areas are full of Protea species, also known as sugarbushes. Gurney's sugarbirds are found where silver sugarbush (Protea roupelliae), white protea (P. subvestita), and common sugarbush (P. caffra) grow. Because these birds rely so much on Protea shrubs, they are very sensitive to habitat loss, especially from fires. Their diet is very specific to Protea nectar, which limits where they can live. They also feed on nectar from Aloe plants in suburban gardens.
The P. g. ardens subspecies lives in areas without silver sugarbush. Instead, they rely on miombo trees (Brachystegia genus) and other protea species. These include African protea (P. gageudi), Nyanaga protea (P. dracomontana), beard protea (P. crintita), and common sugarbush (P. caffra). P. g. ardens lives near rivers and on dry slopes. These slopes have many flowering shrubs like sugarbush (Protea), bird of paradise flowers (Strelitzia), and coral trees (Erythrina).
Sugarbird Behavior
How Gurney's Sugarbirds Communicate
The song of a Gurney's sugarbird has three or four notes that go higher in pitch. The last note is repeated several times. A "song-spell" is when they sing for a long time, up to four minutes. If they sing many song-spells with short breaks, it's called a full song period, which can last for 20 minutes!
Gurney's sugarbird calls are short and have a single note. People often describe it as a "chit" sound. The call is lower in pitch than the song. It can be repeated as a "chit-chit-chit" sequence. They usually use this call when they are near their nest. Or, they might use it to show they are happy when their partner brings food to the nest. When defending their nest or territory from other birds, Gurney's sugarbirds make a sound like "cloth ripping."
What Gurney's Sugarbirds Eat
Gurney's sugarbirds are special eaters. They are nectarivores (they eat nectar) and insectivores (they eat insects). They mainly feed on Protea species, especially silver sugarbush, common sugarbush, and Aloe in suburban areas. Their long, curved beak is perfect for sipping nectar from sugarbush flowers.
These birds look for insects and nectar within their own territory. Insects are often found hiding inside silver sugarbush flowers. They also catch insects while flying. Their main insect meals include Hymenoptera (like wasps, bees, sawflies, and ants), Coleoptera (beetles), and Hemiptera (true bugs). Adult sugarbirds mostly eat nectar. But during the breeding season, they feed small insects to their chicks.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Gurney's sugarbirds are socially monogamous. This means a male and female pair stay together during the breeding season. This season starts in September when they find a mate and build a nest. It lasts until late February, when the young birds leave their parents.
Female sugarbirds choose their mate based on how the male looks and how he flies. Males show off by flicking their long tail and making a "clacking" sound with the triangular bump on their sixth wing feather. Males with longer tails and bigger feather bumps tend to have more success finding a mate. These display flights also happen when males chase away other birds, usually other males, from their territory.
How well Gurney's sugarbirds reproduce depends a lot on having enough food, like nectar and insects. Males usually protect these food sources. Females build the nest, sit on the eggs to keep them warm, and feed the baby birds (nestlings). They usually lay a small number of eggs, often just one or two. This is because they live longer than many other birds, up to seven years. The longest recorded life span is 13 years.
Sugarbirds usually become old enough to have babies in their second or third year of life. This means they typically have about five breeding seasons in their lifetime. The eggs hatch after 16-17 days of incubation. The parents keep the chicks warm for another 19 to 23 days after they hatch. Both parents help feed the nestlings, usually bringing back small winged insects and beetles. Chicks rely on their parents for food for about the first month of their lives.
Images for kids
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Gurney's sugarbird, at Marakele National Park
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Gurney's sugarbird, at Marakele National Park
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