Anchieta's sunbird (''Anthreptes anchietae'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

in the family

Nectariniidae Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly i ...

. It is found in

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

, the

DRC The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

, and

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

, and is named after

José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta (variations José d'Anchieta, José Anchieta, José de Anchieta - b. October 9, 1832 in Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal, d. September 14, 1897 in Caconda, Portuguese Angola) was a 19th-century Portuguese explorer a ...

Description

The Anchieta’s Sunbird is a small bird, about 10–12 cm long and weighing around 8 grams. The male has dark iridescent blue on the forehead, crown, chin, and upper breast. Its wings and tail are brown. The side of the breast is bright yellow, and the central breast to the upper belly is bright orangey-red. The rest of the underparts are greyish-brown, while the bill and legs are black. The female is similar but has only blue on the forehead. Her chin and throat are brown with blue tips, and her breast is a dull yellow.

Population

The Anchieta sunbird is monotypic. The population of the species is stable, meaning it does not meet the conditions to be considered at risk of becoming vulnerable. This species is classified as “Least Concern” in regard to being globally threatened.

Distribution and Habitat

The Anchieta Sunbird lives in

Brachystegia ''Brachystegia'' is a genus of tree of the subfamily Detarioideae that is native to tropical Africa. Trees of the genus are commonly known as miombo, and are dominant in the miombo woodlands of central and southern tropical Africa. The Zambezia ...

and areas of degraded woodland, where they favor rocky zones The Anchieta’s Sunbird is found across several countries in

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

, including

, the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

, and

. The bird’s adaptability to various altitudes and ecosystems allows it to thrive in both dry and wetter regions. The Anchieta Sunbird is usually not found in

during the rainy season from November to April. This is because heavy rainfall affects the availability of flowering plants that are crucial for the bird's nectar-based diet. As a result, the sunbird may move to drier areas with more food to survive during these tough conditions.

Diet

Anchieta’s Sunbirds have a specialized diet. They eat nectar from different flowering plants. They also eat small insects and fruits, which give them the protein and nutrients they need. In Africa, sunbirds are the dominant pollinator.Newmark, William D, et al. “African Sunbirds Predominantly Pollinate Plants Useful to Humans.” ''OUP Academic'', Oxford University Press, 2 Mar. 2020, https://academic.oup.com/condor/article/122/2/duz070/5771327. This dual diet of nectar and insects means they play a significant role in pollination and controlling insect populations.

Reproduction

The Anchieta Sunbirds have specific breeding seasons in

, and

. Their nests are made of flowers, seeds, and twigs, lined with soft fluff from the

Faurea saligna ''Faurea saligna'' is a graceful, semi-deciduous tree in the family ''Proteaceae''. It grows to about , or up to under forest conditions. Found from tropical Africa south to the Transvaal, Swaziland and Natal, often in large communities on ...

plant. The nests are carefully placed up to 6.5 meters above the ground in bushes or trees. The eggs of the Anchieta Sunbirds have a blue-white or grey color and markings of black and grey.

Vocalization

Anchieta's Sunbirds are vocal birds that utter complex calls and songs, which are essential in their communication. They make calls such as "tseu-werr," "tsoo-wit," "tser-wit-tsui-tsi," "chip-choo-chip." These may be repeated from one to 40 times. They also make simple calls: "twi-tsui-tsi-twi" or ascending notes like "tzer-chip-chip-chip" up to 20 repetitions. They make these sounds as part of interaction with their mates and other rivals as they seek to establish their ground. left, Illustration by Keulemans

References

Anchieta's sunbird Birds of Southern Africa Anchieta's sunbird Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Nectariniidae-stub