Cinnyris mariquensis
The Marico Sunbird (Cinnyris mariquensis) is a vibrant and active passerine native to sub-Saharan Africa, renowned for its dazzling iridescent plumage. Males are particularly striking, featuring an iridescent metallic green head and upperparts, a distinct metallic purple breast band, and a brilliant crimson chest, contrasting with an olive-grey belly. They possess a long, slender, decurved black bill perfectly adapted for nectar feeding. Females are considerably duller, exhibiting olive-grey ...
Primarily found in dry to semi-arid savanna, acacia woodlands, and riverine bush, the Marico Sunbird also readily adapts to gardens and parks. They typically inhabit low to moderate elevations.
Their diet primarily consists of nectar, extracted from a wide variety of flowering plants. They supplement this with small insects and spiders, particularly during the breeding season to feed their young.
Marico Sunbirds are highly diurnal, spending their days actively foraging among flowers and foliage. Their foraging strategy involves both probing deep into blossoms for nectar with their specialized bills and gleaning small insects and spiders from leaves and bark. Males are fiercely territorial...
The Marico Sunbird has a wide and stable distribution across sub-Saharan Africa, primarily inhabiting eastern and southern regions. Its breeding range extends from eastern South Africa, north through Mozambique, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and into par...
Least Concern
- The Marico Sunbird's specific name, 'mariquensis,' is a geographical reference to the Marico River in South Africa, near where the species was first described. - Its extremely long, decurved bill and brush-tipped tongue are perfectly adapted to access nectar deep inside tube-shaped flowers. - M...