Scarlet-chested sunbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scarlet-chested sunbird |
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| Male and female at Lake Chivero, Zimbabwe | |
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| Genus: |
Chalcomitra
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| Species: |
senegalensis
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The scarlet-chested sunbird (Chalcomitra senegalensis) is a beautiful and colorful bird found in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. It belongs to the Nectariniidae family, which are often called sunbirds. These birds are known for their bright feathers and their love for nectar from flowers. You can find them living from South Sudan all the way down to South Africa.
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Where Scarlet-Chested Sunbirds Live
The scarlet-chested sunbird lives across a wide area of Africa. You can spot them in many countries. These include Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
They also live in Eswatini, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, and Mauritania. Other countries where they are found are Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
What Scarlet-Chested Sunbirds Look Like
The scarlet-chested sunbird is a striking bird. Adult males have a bright red or scarlet chest. They also have a shiny green patch on top of their heads. This green patch looks like it changes color in the light.
Female scarlet-chested sunbirds look different from the males. They are mostly dark brown. They do not have the bright red chest or the shiny green head patch.
These birds prefer to live in woodlands and gardens. They can be found in places as high as 2,400 meters (about 7,874 feet) above sea level.
Size and Weight
Scarlet-chested sunbirds are fairly small birds. They are usually about 13 to 15 centimeters (5 to 6 inches) long.
Male birds weigh between 7.5 and 17.2 grams (0.26 to 0.61 ounces). Females are a bit lighter. They weigh from 6.8 to 15.3 grams (0.24 to 0.54 ounces).
How the Scarlet-Chested Sunbird Got Its Name
The scientific name for the scarlet-chested sunbird is Chalcomitra senegalensis. This name has an interesting history.
In 1760, a French zoologist named Mathurin Jacques Brisson described this bird. He based his description on a bird he found in Senegal. He gave it a long Latin name, but it wasn't the official scientific name we use today.
Later, in 1766, a famous Swedish scientist named Carl Linnaeus officially named the bird. He used a shorter, two-part Latin name: Certhia senegalensis. This system of naming, using two parts, is called binomial nomenclature. It helps scientists around the world use the same names for animals and plants.
Today, the scarlet-chested sunbird is placed in a group of birds called Chalcomitra. This group was created by a German naturalist named Ludwig Reichenbach in 1853. There are six different types, or subspecies, of the scarlet-chested sunbird recognized by scientists.
Gallery
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Female feeding on Aloe zebrina in the Soysambu Conservancy, Kenya.
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