AMETHYST SUNBIRD BABIES

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4 ай бұрын

This season I had the privilege of observing these majestic birds breading in our garden.
The Amethyst sunbird is a small bird species found in southern Africa. It's known for its vibrant iridescent plumage, with the male displaying stunning purple and green colors.
They are known for their intricate and hanging basket-like nests.
After laying the eggs, the female is responsible for incubating them, while the male may help by feeding her.
Just look at these Amethyst sunbirds and their agile and acrobatic flight. They are capable of swift and direct flight, allowing them to move quickly between feeding sites and their nests.They can hover in front of flowers while feeding, using their specialized long, slender bills to probe into blossoms and extract nectar, These birds are skilled at making rapid aerial maneuvers, which helps them navigate through dense vegetation or capture flying insects on the wing.
In search of nectar, insects, and spiders, they often flit and dart around, making short, quick flights from perch to perch.Their flight abilities are well-suited to their feeding habits, as they primarily rely on nectar, insects, ad spiders for sustenance.
The beak shape of Amethyst sunbirds, is adapted to their feeding habits and ecological system . They have long, slender, and slightly curved beaks that are well-suited for their primary feeding behaviors, which include nectar-feeding and insect-hunting. While nectar is a significant part of their diet, Amethyst sunbirds also feed on insects and spiders. The curved beak helps them to catch these small prey items by quickly darting and probing in foliage and crevices.
There beak shape provides versatility in their diet. They can switch between nectar, insects and spiders, depending on food availability, making them adaptable for survival.
Just notice the tongue of this bird. It's long and tubular in shape, so that they can reach deep inside the flowers to suck out the nectar.
The whole family works together to keep the nest clean. When the babies are very small, mommy has to dive deep into the nest to go fetch the fecal sacs, but as the babies get bigger, they just stick their bums outside the nest and it is easier for mommy to help with cleaning.
The male has a lot of bright black and purple colors but the most interesting part is their UV reflection. Some of the colors in their plumage are visible to the human eye but many are in the ultraviolet spectrum, which is visible to birds but not to humans. These UV markings can be used in communication and may play a role in mate selection. UV reflection help in distinguishing in different bird species. This can be particularly valuable in areas with diverse avian communities where species recognition is essential for mate selection, territorial defense and avoiding inter specific competition. UF patterns can play a role in camouflage while curtain UV markings may be conspicuous to other birds, they can serve as an inconspicuous form of camouflage, especially in habitats where UV light is more prevalent.
An interesting and relatively lessor known fact about Amethyst sunbirds, is that they are known to engage in an behavior called sun bathing. Sun bathing in birds involves them spreading their wings and exposing their plumage to direct sunlight. It can help rid feathers of parasites such as feather mites by its drying and warming effects. Sun bathing may help regulate the birds body temperature by warming them up after a cold night or during cooler weather. Exposure to sunlight is necessary for the entices of vitamin D which is important for calcium absorption and overall health.
And so these sunbirds did a magnificent job this season. Two more chicks can be added to the population.
@EvelynJoubertNatureWithEve
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