Anthreptes reichenowi
The Plain-backed Sunbird (*Anthreptes reichenowi*) is a diminutive and often overlooked jewel of East Africa's coastal forests, measuring a mere 10-11 cm in length and weighing just a few grams. Males sport an iridescent coppery-green head and throat, contrasting sharply with a diagnostic plain olive-green back, a pale yellow belly, and dark wings. Females are less vibrant, presenting duller olive-green upperparts and yellowish underparts, lacking the male's iridescence. A distinctive field m...
This sunbird primarily inhabits coastal evergreen forests, dense woodlands, and thickets, often frequenting areas with abundant flowering plants and mangroves, typically at elevations below 1,000 meters.
Primarily nectivorous, feeding on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, supplemented by small insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark.
Plain-backed Sunbirds are diurnal and generally observed singly or in pairs, actively foraging throughout the day. They employ a specialized feeding strategy, using their short, decurved bills to probe deep into flowers for nectar or to glean small insects and spiders from foliage and bark. Durin...
The Plain-backed Sunbird has a disjunct distribution across East Africa, primarily inhabiting coastal lowlands from extreme southern Somalia through eastern Kenya and Tanzania, extending south into northern Mozambique. A significant isolated population also exists further inland in eastern Zimbab...
Least Concern
- Despite their vibrant iridescent heads, their plain, olive-green backs give them their common name, making them less showy than many sunbird relatives. - They possess a relatively short, decurved bill compared to many other sunbird species, an adaptation for specific flower types. - Unlike many...