Cinnyris usambaricus
The Usambara Double-collared Sunbird (*Cinnyris usambaricus*) is a stunningly iridescent passerine, endemic to the montane forests of Tanzania. Males are particularly vibrant, boasting a brilliant metallic green head, mantle, and throat, which shimmers with blue and purple hues in different lights. This striking upper plumage is dramatically contrasted by a broad, vivid crimson breast band, immediately followed by a narrower, iridescent violet-blue band - giving rise to its "double-collared" ...
This species inhabits submontane and montane evergreen forests, forest edges, clearings, and secondary growth within its restricted range, typically found at elevations between 800 and 2,300 meters. It thrives in areas with abundant flowering plants, providing a continuous nectar source.
Primarily a nectarivore, feeding on the sweet liquid from a variety of flowering plants using its specialized tongue, but it also supplements its diet with small insects and spiders, typically gleaned from foliage or caught in flight.
Usambara Double-collared Sunbirds are perpetually active and agile, flitting swiftly between flowering plants during daylight hours, generally roosting individually or in pairs within dense foliage at night. Foraging primarily involves hovering hummingbird-like to sip nectar from flowers with the...
The Usambara Double-collared Sunbird is strictly endemic to the Usambara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania. Its distribution is fragmented, limited specifically to the various forest blocks within the East and West Usambara ranges. It primarily resides in the montane and submontane evergreen for...
Vulnerable
- The Usambara Double-collared Sunbird is a true Tanzanian endemic, found only in the Usambara Mountains. - Its "double-collared" name refers to the distinct crimson and violet-blue bands across the male's chest. - Despite its small size (around 11-12 cm), it fiercely defends its feeding territor...