Nectarinia tacazze
The Tacazze Sunbird (Nectarinia tacazze) is a resplendent jewel of the East African highlands, belonging to the Nectariniidae family, closely related to other sunbird species. Males are breathtakingly iridescent, primarily appearing dark purplish-blue to purplish-green, with a long, decurved black bill measuring about 25-28 mm, and striking scarlet pectoral tufts often concealed by other feathers. Females, in stark contrast, are much duller, with olive-brown upperparts, grayish-white underpar...
Found in montane forests, woodlands, moorlands, high-altitude grasslands, and cultivated areas, typically at elevations ranging from 1,200 to over 4,000 meters.
Primarily nectar, supplemented with small insects and spiders; forages by probing flowers with its long, decurved bill or gleaning insects from foliage.
Tacazze Sunbirds are active, diurnal foragers, often seen flitting among flowers. Males exhibit strong territorial behavior, defending prime nectar sources and nesting sites with aerial chases and vocalizations. Courtship displays involve the male fanning his iridescent plumage and flashing his s...
The Tacazze Sunbird is a resident species distributed across the high-altitude regions of East Africa. Its core breeding and year-round range extends from the highlands of Eritrea and Ethiopia, south through eastern Sudan and South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and into western and central Keny...
Least Concern
- The Tacazze Sunbird's iridescence is not due to pigment but to the microscopic structure of its feathers, which refract and reflect light to produce a dazzling, metallic sheen. - Often compared to hummingbirds for their shared diet of nectar and ability to hover, sunbirds are an excellent examp...