The variable sunbird or yellow-bellied sunbird (''Cinnyris venustus''), formerly ''Nectarinia venusta'', is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of small

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time. The variable sunbird is a fairly common resident breeder in equatorial

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. Two eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. This species is found in open woodland and cultivation. Variable sunbirds are small, only 10 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. The adult male has a glossy green head, throat and nape, and a maroon breast band. In most

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

, the belly of the male is yellow, but in a few it is orange or white. The female has grey-brown upperparts and yellowish underparts, and an obvious pale supercilium. The eclipse male is like the female, but shows some green, especially on the throat. The call is a clear ''tew-tew-tew-tew-tew''.

Gallery

Variable sunbird (Cinnyris venustus venustus) male.jpg, male ''C. v. venustus'', Gambia Variable sunbird (Cinnyris venustus venustus) female.jpg, juvenile ''C. v. venustus'', Gambia Variable sunbird (Cinnyris venustus falkensteini) male.jpg, male ''C. v. falkensteini'', Kenya Variable sunbird (Cinnyris venustus falkensteini) female.jpg, female ''C. v. falkensteini'', Kenya

External links

* (Yellow-bellied = ) Variable sunbird
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2209523 Cinnyris Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa Birds of East Africa