Variable Sunbird

Fascinating facts about the Variable Sunbird

• A 10-centimetre bird can hover like a hummingbird, yet it usually perches before sipping nectar; its short wings give it fast, direct flight.
• When a pair builds its home, they suspend a tiny nest from a tree branch and lay exactly two eggs.
• The male’s glossy green head and throat sparkle against a maroon breast band, while the belly can be yellow, orange, or white depending on the subspecies.
• Females have muted grey-brown upperparts with a pale supercilium, and during a rare “eclipse” phase the male resembles the female, showing some green on the throat.
• Although they sip nectar, variable sunbirds also hunt insects to feed their young, swapping a sugary diet for protein when the chicks hatch. This dual feeding strategy shows how flexibility in diet can support breeding success in the ever-changing African savanna.

At a glance

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