Malachite nectar bird
| Malachite nectar bird | ||||||||||||
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Malachite nectar bird, male |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nectarinia famosa | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1766) |
The malachite nectar bird ( Nectarinia famosa ) is a bird belonging to the nectar bird family. It occurs in the two subspecies Nectarinia famosa famosa (Linné, 1766) and Nectarinia famosa cupreonitens (Shelley, 1876).
features
The male becomes up to 25 cm long, including the long tail. The magnificent dress is emerald green, otherwise the males are olive-brown, similar to the females, but have green, shiny wing covers and tail feathers. The female is around 15 cm long and has a brown-gray breast side and a pale yellow underside. The short tail is blackish. Males and females have a slightly lighter eye stripe. The eyes are dark brown while the legs and beak are black. The beak is long and curved downwards. The young birds are colored similar to the females.
distribution and habitat
Nectarinia famosa famosa is found in Lesotho , large parts of South Africa and Swaziland as well as in a small area on the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique , while Nectarinia famosa cupreonitens lives in a strip from Ethiopia to northern Mozambique.
It is a line bird that prefers open land and gardens, especially where aloes and proteas are found. It can be found at altitudes up to 2800 meters above sea level.
On the Red List of Endangered Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources , the malachite nectar bird is classified as least concern (not endangered).
behavior
The malachite nectar bird feeds primarily on nectar , but also on small insects, and occasionally small lizards. He can suck the nectar like a hummingbird in a soaring flight .
The tear-shaped nest is mostly hanging and is built about one to two meters in a bush. The clutch consists of one to four dark-spotted eggs, which are incubated by the females for 12 to 14 days while the male procures food. The chicks stay in the nest for 13 to 17 days. Outside the breeding season, malachite nectar birds form schools of up to 1000 individuals.
literature
- Manfred Reichardt: Tourist Guide to Birds of Lesotho. Essa Educational Supplies, Roma without year
Web links
- Description at biodiversityexplorer.org (English)
- Nectarinia famosa in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2011. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Accessed November 17, 2011th
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c distribution map at biodiversityexplorer.org (English), accessed on November 17, 2011
- ^ IUCN entry , accessed on November 16, 2011