Cinnyris ornatus
The Ornate Sunbird (*Cinnyris ornatus*) is a dazzlingly small passerine endemic to the Philippines, celebrated for its spectacular iridescence. Males boast a shimmering metallic green crown, mantle, and upper back, complemented by an iridescent blue-violet gorget, breast band, and often bright yellow undertail coverts, contrasting sharply with a dark chestnut belly. Females, by comparison, are much plainer, featuring olive-green upperparts and dull yellowish underparts, lacking the male's vib...
Found in a variety of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, mangroves, gardens, plantations, and urban parks, typically from lowlands up to around 1000-1200 meters elevation.
Primarily feeds on nectar from various flowering plants, supplemented significantly by small insects (spiders, ants, beetles, larvae), and occasionally small fruits. Forages by probing flowers, gleaning insects from foliage, and hawking them in mid-air.
Ornate Sunbirds are highly active and diurnal, spending their days foraging for nectar and insects, often roosting communally in dense foliage at night. Their primary foraging strategy involves probing flowers with their long, decurved bill and brush-tipped tongue, often hovering briefly like hum...
The Ornate Sunbird is strictly endemic to the Philippine archipelago, where it is a widespread and resident species across numerous islands. Its range encompasses major islands such as Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan, and the various islands of the Visayas group, along with many smaller islets. This spe...
Least Concern
- The Ornate Sunbird can hover briefly while feeding, a trait more commonly associated with hummingbirds, thanks to its extremely rapid wing beats. - Its specialized brush-tipped tongue is a marvel of evolution, perfectly designed to wick nectar from deep within blossoms. - Male Ornate Sunbirds e...