Cinnyris chloropygius
The Olive-bellied Sunbird (Cinnyris chloropygius) is a vibrant jewel of West and Central African avifauna, renowned for its dazzling plumage and acrobatic foraging. Males boast a striking iridescent green head, back, throat, and upper breast, contrasting sharply with a bright yellow belly, often punctuated by subtle orange-red pectoral tufts visible during display. Measuring a petite 9-11 cm in length and weighing a mere 6-10 grams, it is a quintessential small sunbird with a distinctly decur...
This adaptable sunbird thrives in a variety of open or semi-open habitats, including forest edges, clearings, secondary growth, plantations, gardens, and savannas. It is typically found from sea level up to mid-elevations around 1,800-2,000 meters.
Primarily nectivorous, this species expertly extracts nectar from a wide array of flowering plants by hovering or perching. Its diet is supplemented with small insects, such as ants, flies, and beetles, and spiders, which it gleans from foliage or catches in flight.
Olive-bellied Sunbirds are highly active and diurnal, spending their days meticulously foraging for nectar and insects. Males are fiercely territorial, defending prime feeding grounds and nesting sites with rapid, high-pitched songs and aerial chases. Courtship involves the male displaying his ir...
The Olive-bellied Sunbird is a widespread resident across a broad swathe of West and Central Africa. Its extensive breeding range stretches from Senegal and Gambia in the west, eastward through countries such as Guinea, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. Further distribution...
Least Concern
- The Olive-bellied Sunbird's iridescent plumage is structural, meaning the colors are produced by light scattering off microscopic feather structures, not pigments. - Despite their small size, males are fiercely territorial and will aggressively chase away rivals or even much larger birds from t...