Anthreptes rectirostris
The Yellow-chinned Sunbird, *Anthreptes rectirostris*, is a small, vibrant passerine bird endemic to the forests of West and Central Africa. Measuring approximately 11-13 cm in length and weighing 7-12 g, males are distinguished by their iridescent metallic green upperparts, a bright yellow chin and throat, and a greyish-white belly. A key field mark, and the origin of its scientific name "rectirostris" (Latin for 'straight-billed'), is its notably short, straight bill, a deviation from the m...
Found in lowland primary and secondary rainforests, gallery forests, forest edges, and clearings, typically at elevations up to 1,500 meters, occasionally higher.
Feeds primarily on nectar obtained by probing flowers, supplemented with small insects (e.g., ants, beetles, caterpillars) and spiders gleaned from foliage or occasionally hawked in flight.
Yellow-chinned Sunbirds are diurnal and generally observed singly or in pairs, frequently joining mixed-species foraging flocks alongside other sunbirds, white-eyes, and warblers. They forage actively by probing flowers for nectar and gleaning small insects and spiders from foliage, often perchin...
The Yellow-chinned Sunbird is a resident species distributed across a wide belt of West and Central Africa. Its range extends from Sierra Leone in the west, eastward through Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and into western Benin. Further east, populations are found from Nigeria, through Camero...
Least Concern
- The scientific name *Anthreptes rectirostris* literally means "straight-billed sunbird," a defining feature that sets it apart from many of its curved-billed relatives. - Its unique straight bill allows it to access nectar from specific flower types that might be inaccessible to sunbirds with m...