Sunbirds (Nectariniidae)
Western Olive-sunbird (Cyanomitra obscura) - HBW 13, p. 261
French: Souimanga obscur
German: Einsiedel-Nektarvogel
Spanish: Suimanga Oliváceo Occidental
Other common names: (Guinea/Guinean) Olive Sunbird
Taxonomy: N.[ectarinia] obscurus Jardine, 1843, Bioko.
Genus formerly subsumed in Nectarinia. Probably forms a superspecies with C. olivacea. Formerly regarded as conspecific, but separated initially on basis that females lack pectoral tufts; although some females 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 of present species. Recent re-examination of .. View all taxonomy...
Genus formerly subsumed in Nectarinia. Probably forms a superspecies with C. olivacea. Formerly regarded as conspecific, but separated initially on basis that females lack pectoral tufts; although some females 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 of present species. Recent re-examination of specimens reveals that possibility of sympatry of the two species on Zanzibar is unfounded. Races guineensis and cephaelis intergrade in Ghana-Togo region. Proposed races vincenti (described from Kapenguria, in W Kenya) and lowei (from R Kafulafuta, in W Zambia) considered insufficiently distinct from ragazzii. Race name pembae is a junior synonym of granti. Six subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- guineensis Bannerman, 1921 - Senegal E to Ghana and Togo.
- cephaelis (Bates, 1930) - Ghana and Togo E to Central African Republic, S to N Angola; also Príncipe (in Gulf of Guinea); purportedly this race in Burundi.
- obscura (Jardine, 1843) - Bioko I (Fernando Póo).
- guineensis Bannerman, 1921 - Senegal E to Ghana and Togo.
- cephaelis (Bates, 1930) - Ghana and Togo E to Central African Republic, S to N Angola; also Príncipe (in Gulf of Guinea); purportedly this race in Burundi.
- obscura (Jardine, 1843) - Bioko I (Fernando Póo).
- ragazzii (Salvadori, 1888) - E & SE DRCongo, extreme S Sudan E to C Ethiopia, Uganda, W Kenya, W Tanzania, Zambia and extreme N Malawi.
- granti Vincent, 1934 - Pemba I, off NE Tanzania.
- sclateri Vincent, 1934 - E Zimbabwe (Melsetter area) and bordering areas of Mozambique.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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One bird perched next to bottlebrush.
Locality Kakamega Forest, Kenya (ssp ragazzii)
Nick Athanas 6 September 2012 20 weeks ago 4
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