Marico Sunbird

The Marico Sunbird is a relatively large, boldly patterned sunbird of drier savanna and woodland habitats in southern Africa. It is named after the Marico River region of South Africa where it was first described.

Appearance

Males display an iridescent metallic green head and throat, a broad maroon or wine-red band across the breast, and a black belly, with a dark, slightly decurved bill. Females are grey-brown above and pale, dull yellowish-grey below, without iridescence.

Key field marks

• Larger, more robust sunbird with a fairly long, strongly decurved bill
• Male: iridescent green head/throat, broad maroon breast band, black belly
• Female: grey-brown above, dull yellowish-grey below
• Typically found in drier acacia or broadleaved woodland rather than lush forest

Similar species

The broad maroon chest band and black belly separate male Marico Sunbirds from the similarly ranged White-bellied Sunbird, which has a much narrower dark band and a white belly. It can also resemble the Scarlet-chested Sunbird, but that species shows a scarlet, not maroon, band and lacks the iridescent green head. Females are best told from other sunbirds by range, habitat, and larger size with a longer bill.

Habitat

Marico Sunbirds favor semi-arid and arid savanna, acacia thornveld, and broadleaved woodland, often in areas drier than those used by many other sunbird species.

Range

The species is found across southern Africa, including Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, and South Africa.

Migration

Mostly resident, with local movements tracking seasonal flowering of acacias and other nectar sources.

Behavior

Bold and territorial, Marico Sunbirds often perch conspicuously atop flowering acacias and aggressively defend good feeding sites from rivals, including other sunbird species.

Voice

The song is a fast, scratchy series of warbled notes; the call is a sharp, metallic "chip" or "tsip," often repeated.

Feeding

Nectar from acacia and aloe flowers forms a major part of the diet, supplemented by insects and spiders gleaned from foliage or caught in flight, especially when raising chicks.

Nesting

The nest is an oval, hanging structure of grass, bark fiber, and spider web with a side entrance, typically suspended from a thorny branch for protection. The female incubates the one to two eggs largely on her own.