At first, appearing all black, it’s not until the light hits the plumage you soon see green and maroon iridescent patches!

Meet the Amethyst Sunbird

The amethyst sunbird, also called the black sunbird (Chalcomitra amethystina), is a species of passerine bird in the Nectariniidae family. A Sexual dichromatic species, meaning the male and female have different colored plumage. The male is about 14 cm long with black plumage and a metallic green forecrown.

There is also iridescent red to purple throat and shoulder patches that really make him shine.

The female has dark brown plumage, with a pale yellow, streaked with a brown, breast and belly.

This bird is native to the Afrotropics, mostly south of the equator.

The Amethyst sunbird prefers to live in coastal evergreen forests and mature valley bushveld but sometimes moves into dry open woodland.

These birds will go out of their way to visit nectar-bearing plants, such as Aloe. They will sometimes also take insects and spiders if given the opportunity.

These birds breed from September through to February. The female builds a nest which is an oval-shaped structure built of lichen, grass, stalks, and bark glued together with spider web. It is strongly attached to a drooping branch of a tree, bush, or creeper, usually 2-6 m above ground. The female lays 1-3 grey eggs which she incubates alone for 13-18 days. The chicks are fed mainly by the female, fledging 14-18 days after hatching and becoming independent one week later.

This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be uncommon to abundant, varying between different parts of their range.

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