Regal sunbird facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Regal sunbird
male
male C. r. regius moulting Volcanoes National Park Rwanda
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Nectariniidae
Genus:	Cinnyris
Species:	C. regius
Binomial name
Cinnyris regius Reichenow, 1893
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Synonyms
Nectarinia regia

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The regal sunbird (Cinnyris regius) is a small, colorful bird. It belongs to the Nectariniidae family, which includes sunbirds. This bird lives in the Albertine Rift montane forests in Africa.

What Does the Regal Sunbird Look Like?

The regal sunbird is a small bird. The adult male is very striking. Its head and upper body shine with a golden-green color. Its wings and tail are dark. The chest and belly are a mix of bold red and yellow.

The adult female looks different. She has dull olive-green feathers on her upper body. Her underside is yellowish and has faint streaks.

It's easy to tell the male regal sunbird apart from other birds. However, the female can sometimes be mistaken for other sunbird females. For example, the female Rockefeller's sunbird looks similar, but has a lighter throat. Other similar birds include the female Rwenzori double-collared sunbird and the female northern double-collared sunbird. These have greener upper parts and yellower underparts. The variable sunbird is also similar. But the regal sunbird has more olive upper parts and a more even yellowish-olive underside.

Where Do Regal Sunbirds Live?

The regal sunbird lives in the Albertine Rift montane forests. This area stretches from Uganda to Tanzania in Africa. These birds are found at high elevations. They live between 1,500 and 3,100 meters (about 4,900 to 10,200 feet) above sea level.

Their homes include several types of forests. They live in evergreen mountain forests. They also live in mixed forests and areas where new forests are growing. You can find them in scrubland and bamboo forests too.

Is the Regal Sunbird in Danger?

The regal sunbird is a common bird. It has a very large area where it lives. However, the number of these birds might be going down. This is because their forest homes are shrinking.

Even with this concern, experts have not found any major threats to the bird. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) studies animals. They have listed the regal sunbird as a "least concern" species. This means it is not currently at high risk of disappearing.