Sunbird in the Hibiscus

I’ve been going on about how I’m trying to make my garden more hospitable to birds. I’ve been providing water in the form of bird baths and nectar feeders, I have a small bird house on which I leave seeds and pieces of fruit which they are eating and am researching which plants to get (that I don’t already have) to attract different birds to my garden.

Today I had a brief interlude with a Witoogie and then joy of joys, what appears to be a juvenile sunbird gave me a five minute show and allowed me to take a few photographs. There were quite a few of them in the tree but only this one was in photographing distance – How cute is this bird?

The interesting chest markings make me think its an immature sunbird. It hasn’t got the typical bright colouring of a sunbird yet – it still has some downy feathers (which you can see more clearly if you click to enlarge the sixth photo below) and then it has these red blotches on its chest, which make me think its still immature and developing its markings? I really have no idea, I’m assuming this of course.

[one_half]Sunbird lands on the branch[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Settling down on the branch[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Looking around ….[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Then looking upwards …[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Another look around[/one_half]

[one_half_last]and then it took off again[/one_half_last]

And then the Witoogies

Then I had brief encounter with a Witoogie – they love to eat aphids and I seem to supply those in abundance so have lots of visits from these cuties. One on the Hibiscus and then later, two in the front garden.

[one_half]Witoogie in the Hibiscus[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Poking around for what?[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Uh oh, he spotted me![/one_half]

[one_half_last]I see the fruit needs replenishing[/one_half_last]

[one_half]First there is one …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]and then there were two[/one_half_last]

This info on Sunbirds from Wikipedia:
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders, especially when feeding young. Flower tubes that bar access to nectar because of their shape, are simply punctured at the base near the nectaries. Fruit is also part of the diet of some species. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings.

The sunbirds have counterparts in two very distantly related groups: the hummingbirds of the Americas and the honeyeaters of Australia. The resemblances are due to convergent evolution brought about by a similar nectar-feeding lifestyle. Some sunbird species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed.

Happy Gardening
xxx