Souimanga sunbird

Cinnyris sovimanga

(Photo from Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
souimanga sunbird (en); beija-flor-de-Madagáscar (pt); souimanga malgache (fr); suimanga malgache (es); Malegassennektarvogel (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Nectariniidae


Range:
This species is found in Madagascar, and in the nearby archipelagos of Aldabra and Glorioso.


Size:
These birds are 10-11 cm long and have a wingspan of 13-14 cm.


Habitat:
The souimanga sunbird is found in tropical and sub-tropical forests, mangroves and scrublands, but also in gardens, parks and degraded patches of former forest. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.300 m.


Diet:
They mostly eat the nectar of various flowers, but will also hunt small insects and spiders.


Breeding:
Souimanga sunbirds breed in August-March. The female builds the nest, a dome-shaped structure made of grass stems, coconut fibre and leaves. It has a side entrance and is usually suspended from a branch 1-2 m above the ground. The female lays 2 whitish eggs with reddish mottles, which she incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 16-18 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is described as abundant. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.