White-bellied Sunbird ( Cinnyris talatala, family: Nectariniidae)
The White-bellied Sunbird (Latin name Cinnyris talatala) is described in
Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird has a unique
Roberts number of 787 and you will find a full description of this bird
on page 993 also a picture of the White-bellied Sunbird on page 1008.
The White-bellied Sunbird belongs to the family of birds classified as
Nectariniidae. According to the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African
Ornithology the White-bellied Sunbird is also known by these other
names: Southern White-bellied Sunbird, White-breasted Sunbird.
In the previous edition of Roberts (ie 6th edition) the White-bellied Sunbird was called the . The Robert's 7 Latin name for White-bellied Sunbird has changed from Nectarinia talatala in Robert's 6 to Cinnyris talatala.
The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps
The White-bellied Sunbird is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the Kruger National Park. It is however a common resident
In terms of distribution of the White-bellied Sunbird in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. White-bellied Sunbird : see above distribution map.
The White-bellied Sunbird.
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
One of the first indicators to take note of when trying to identify a bird is it relative size. For example how big is the bird compared to a well known familiar bird. The White-bellied Sunbird is an extremely small bird about half the size of a house sparrow. The height of the White-bellied Sunbird is about 11 cms and its weight is about 7 gms
You will find that the male White-bellied Sunbird plumage and colours are different to that of the female White-bellied Sunbird
- Head is green.
- Eye is brown.
- Bill is black.
- Throat is green.
- Back is green.
- Legs are black.
This bird has normally proportioned leg length and a long bill.
Main diet items for this bird ...
The White-bellied Sunbird feeds in typical sunbird fashion clasping the edge of the flower or taking up a perch close to the flower into which it pokes its long curved bill. It moves around quickly from flower to flower.
Nectar
Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...
The White-bellied Sunbird is monogamous unless its mate dies. In the event of a partner dying Cinnyris talatala will seek out a new mate
The nesting habit of White-bellied Sunbird is to create the nest in branches of a tree or shrub. The bird lays eggs which are white in colour and number between 1 to 3
Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...
The preferred habitats for White-bellied Sunbird are: woodlands and grasslands and riverine areas
You can expect to see White-bellied Sunbird in flocks, or pairs or as single birds.
Names of this avian species in other languages ...
Xhosa ... Unknown
Zulu ... Unknown
Afrikaans ...Witpenssuikerbekkie
German ... Weibauch-Nektarvogel
Portuguese ... Beija-flor-de-barriga-branca
French ... Souimanga ventre blanchtre
Dutch ... Witbuik-Honingzuiger
First bird in list | Previous bird viewed | Next KNP bird | Last bird in list
For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...
Robert's 7th edition number ... 787
The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za
