Abbotts Sunbird (Cinnyris abbotti)

Subspecies

Genus	Species	subspecies	Breeding Range	Breeding Range 2	Non Breeding Range
Cinnyris	abbotti		AF	Aldabra Island
Cinnyris	abbotti	abbotti
Cinnyris	abbotti	buchenorum

Physical charateristics

Metallic green head, back and throat, black breast with red band, yellow belly, brown wings and tail. Yellow tufts at the sides of the breast which become visible when the birds lift their wings in courtship display. Long, thin and curved black bill. Females – grey-brown upperparts, dull yellow belly and a grey throat and breast with darker markings. Juveniles are similar to the adult females.

wingspan min.:	13	cm	wingspan max.:	14	cm
size min.:	10	cm	size max.:	11	cm
incubation min.:	14	days	incubation max.:	14	days
fledging min.:	16	days	fledging max.:	18	days
broods:	1		eggs min.:	2
			eggs max.:	4

Range

Africa : Aldabra Island

Habitat

Mountain forests, mangroves and scrubland as well as in parks and gardens.

Reproduction

The nest is dome-shaped and has an entrance hole on the side. It is made of plant material such as grass stems, coconut fibre and leaves. It is usually suspended from a branch about 1 to 2 metres above the ground but may be built on a building or in a sinkhole within eroded coral. Two eggs are laid and are incubated for 13 to 14 days; they are whitish with reddish mottling. The young birds fledge after 16 to 18 days. Nest-building and incubation of the eggs are done by the female who also plays a greater role than the male in feeding the chicks.

Feeding habits

It mainly eats nectar supplemented with arthropods, hawking insects aerially.

Conservation

Not recognized by Birdlife.

Migration

Resident throughout range.