Sunbirds (Nectariniidae)
Amethyst Sunbird (Chalcomitra amethystina) - HBW 13, p. 264
French: Souimanga améthyste
German: Amethystglanzköpfchen
Spanish: Suimanga Amatista
Other common names: Black/Amethyst-throated Sunbird
Taxonomy: Certhia amethystina Shaw, 1811, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Genus previously merged with Nectarinia. Forms a group with C. fuliginosa and C. rubescens; sometimes thought to form a superspecies with those, despite considerable geographical overlap, but all appear to hybridize occasionally in areas where they meet. Other proposed races are adjuncta from E Swaziland (described from Stegi, in Lebombo Mts), which is synonymized with nominate, and doggetti (Ravine, in W Kenya) and kalckreuthi (Mombasa, in SE Kenya), both merged with kirkii. Three subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- deminuta Cabanis, 1880 - SE Gabon, S PRCongo, W & SE DRCongo, Angola, Namibia, N & W Zambia and N Botswana.
- kirkii (Shelley, 1876) - SE Sudan, SE Ethiopia (sight records), Somalia (Jubba Valley), NE Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, E & S Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique (S to Coguna) and Zimbabwe.
- amethystina (Shaw, 1811) - E Botswana, S Mozambique (S of R Limpopo), Swaziland and E & S South Africa (Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal S to S coastal Western Cape).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Dorsal and frontal views of a singing immature male. Locality Kipepeo, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania (ssp kirkii)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 14 February 2012 39 weeks ago 33 sec 4.7 -
A bird in a flowering tree, feeding on nectar Locality Black Forest Mountain Lodge, Haenertsburg, Limpopo Province, South Africa (ssp amethystina)
Keith Blomerley 3 October 2004 7 years ago 27 sec 4.2 -
A female feeding on nectar at the base of hibiscus flowers Locality Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, Central Region, Malawi (ssp kirkii)
Greg Baker 16 October 2005 31 weeks ago 42 sec 4 -
A male perched and cleaning its bill on a branch Locality Groenvlei Lake, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp amethystina)
Greg Baker 4 October 2002 33 weeks ago 22 sec 4 -
A male feeding on flower heads in a strong breeze Locality Groenvlei Lake, Goukamma Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp amethystina)
Greg Baker 3 October 2002 33 weeks ago 32 sec 3
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An immature bird at a feeder.
Locality Nairobi, Kenya
Ken Havard 4 February 2006 2 years ago 3.8 -
Male feeding on a flower
Locality Nairobi, Kenya (ssp kirkii)
Thomas Holmberg 29 November 2011 34 weeks ago 3.7 -
A male perching
Locality KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa
Tadeusz Stawarczyk 15 April 2011 1 year ago 3.3 -
Male feeding in flight
Locality Nairobi, Kenya (ssp kirkii)
Thomas Holmberg 29 November 2011 34 weeks ago 3 -
Three birds perched on a metal pole
Locality Hwange National Park, Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe
Laurent Demongin 24 September 2004 4 years ago 3 -
Male feeding at sunbirdfeeder.
Locality Oude Westhof, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa (ssp amethystina)
Loutjie Steenberg 15 July 2011 1 year ago 2.8
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Chattering call. 10:54am Locality Karkloof Nature Reserve, KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa
(ssp amethystina)
Charles Hesse 6 June 2010 2 years ago 4.5
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