Cinnyris mediocris
The Eastern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris mediocris) is a small, exquisitely jewel-toned passerine, measuring 9-11 cm in length and weighing a mere 5-8 grams. Its most distinctive field mark is the male's vibrant plumage: an iridescent metallic green head, throat, and upperparts, separated from a broad, fiery scarlet-orange breast band by a narrow, glittering blue-purple collar. Females are considerably drabber, with olive-grey upperparts and yellowish underparts, lacking any iridescent c...
Found primarily in Afromontane and submontane forests, forest edges, secondary growth, clearings, and gardens, typically at elevations ranging from 900 to 3000 meters above sea level.
Feeds predominantly on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, supplemented significantly by small insects and spiders, especially during breeding season.
This species is highly diurnal and ceaselessly active, often observed singly or in pairs. It primarily feeds on nectar, often hovering deftly like a hummingbird to access deep floral tubes, but also gleans and flycatches small insects and spiders, particularly when provisioning young. Males are f...
The Eastern Double-collared Sunbird is a resident species endemic to the Afromontane regions of East Africa. Its distribution spans across central and eastern Kenya, northern Tanzania, eastern Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Two main subspecies are recognize...
Least Concern
- The Eastern Double-collared Sunbird plays a crucial ecological role as a pollinator for many montane forest plants, essential for their reproduction. - Despite its small size, the male's plumage features three distinct iridescent and vibrant color bands (green, blue-purple, scarlet) on its ches...