Cinnyris osea
The Palestine Sunbird (Cinnyris osea) is a dazzling jewel of the Old World tropics, often likened to hummingbirds due to its vibrant colors and nectar-feeding habits, though they are not related. Males are breathtakingly iridescent, sporting metallic green to blue-green plumage across their head, throat, upper breast, and upperparts, contrasting sharply with their sooty-black belly. They possess a distinctive long, slender, downcurved black bill perfectly adapted for probing flowers, and typi...
This highly adaptable sunbird thrives in a variety of semi-arid and cultivated habitats, including dry scrubland, open woodlands, orchards, gardens, and urban parks. It can be found from sea level up to elevations of 2800 meters, showing a preference for areas with abundant flowering plants.
The diet of the Palestine Sunbird is predominantly nectar, gleaned from a wide variety of flowering plants using its long, specialized bill. It supplements its diet significantly with small insects and spiders, particularly when feeding young.
Palestine Sunbirds are diurnal and highly active, spending their days flitting among flowers and foliage. Their foraging strategy primarily involves hovering like a hummingbird or perching to extract nectar with their specialized bills, while also gleaning insects and spiders from vegetation or c...
The Palestine Sunbird boasts a wide and expanding distribution across the Middle East and parts of Northeast Africa. Its breeding range encompasses southeastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and extends into the Arabian Peninsula through Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the Uni...
Least Concern
- The Palestine Sunbird is often mistaken for a hummingbird due to its hovering flight and nectar-feeding habits, but they are not related; sunbirds are Old World passerines, while hummingbirds are New World apodiformes. - Males possess iridescent plumage that changes color from green to blue dep...