Deleornis axillaris
The Grey-headed Sunbird, *Deleornis axillaris*, is a small, distinctive passerine belonging to the Nectariniidae family, characterized by its muted, yet elegant, plumage contrasting with its often iridescent sunbird relatives. Measuring around 10-11 centimeters, this species presents a striking grey head, throat, and upper chest, transitioning sharply to an olive-green back and a bright yellow belly. Unlike many sunbirds, it largely lacks the metallic, iridescent sheen, making its field ident...
The Grey-headed Sunbird primarily inhabits lowland and submontane rainforests, thriving in the understory and mid-story of humid primary and mature secondary forests, often at elevations up to 1500 meters.
The Grey-headed Sunbird's diet consists primarily of nectar gathered from various flowering plants, supplemented significantly by small insects and spiders gleaned from leaves and bark.
This diurnal sunbird is an active forager, typically observed singly or in pairs, often joining mixed-species feeding flocks in the forest mid-canopy. Its foraging strategy involves probing flowers for nectar with its short, decurved bill, but it also actively gleans small insects and spiders fro...
The Grey-headed Sunbird is endemic to the humid forests of Central Africa, with its primary distribution stretching from southeastern Nigeria eastward through Cameroon and the Central African Republic, extending south into Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
Least Concern
- The Grey-headed Sunbird is unusual among sunbirds for its lack of prominent iridescent plumage, sporting a more subdued grey and yellow coloration. - It is one of only two species in the genus *Deleornis*, its closest relative being the Pale-billed Sunbird (*Deleornis idius*). - While many sunb...