Eastern Olive-Sunbird (Cyanomitra olivacea) - HBW 13, p. 260

Taxonomy: Cinnyris olivaceus A. Smith, 1840, Kafirland eastward toward Port Natal = Durban, South Africa.
Genus formerly subsumed in Nectarinia. Probably forms a superspecies with C. obscura. Formerly regarded as conspecific, but separated initially on basis that females of latter lack pectoral tufts; although some female C. obscura do have pectoral tufts (albeit white, wispy insignificant ones), and conspecificity supported by analyses of mitochondrial DNA, treatment as separate species nevertheless considered justified, as the two differ in vocalizations and in egg patterning, and yellow pectoral tufts extremely rare (if they occur at all) in female C. obscura. Recent re-examination of specimens reveals that possibility of sympatry of the two species on Zanzibar is unfounded. Additional proposed races are chyulu (described from Chyulu Mts, in S Kenya), which is merged with neglecta, puguensis (Mafia I, off N Tanzania), synonymized with changamwensis, intercalans (Fort Jameson, in Eastern Province of Zambia), included in alfredi, and daviesi (Pondoland, in coastal E South Africa), considered indistinguishable from nominate. Five subspecies recognized.