Takalani: Learn more about Sugarbids and Sunbirds.

A sunbird in which the male has a brilliant red band across the chest. Size 14cm - much smaller than a sparrow. Afrikaans: Groot-rooibandsuikerbekkie The male Greater Double-collared Sunbird has a brilliant red band across the chest. As with other sunbirds the bill is long and decurved. The bill of this species is longer and more curved than that of the Southern Double-collared Sunbird. The bill, legs and feet are black. The eye is dark brown. The male has a brilliant glossy, metallic green head, throat upper breast and back. A narrow metallic blue band separates the green of the upper breast from the wide red breast band below which the breast and belly are smoky-grey. The rump is blue When displaying bright yellow pectoral tufts can be seen on the shoulders. The female is brownish grey above with yellowish-grey underparts.Compared to the Southern Double-collared Sunbird, this species is larger, and the band across the chest is wider. The Greater Double-collared Sunbird occurs in coastal and riverine bush, forest edge, montane scrub, Protea Savannah, parks and gardens. It is usually solitary or in pairs. Highly active, birds chasing each other and other sunbird species about. Has the habit of hovering in front of webs to extract spiders. It lives mainly on nectar of flowers, as well as fruit, insects and spiders. The call is a sustained jumble of tweeting, twittering and chipping notes, richer than the calls of the Southern Double Collard Sunbird. The Greater Double-collared Sunbird breeds all year round, with a peak from July to November. The nest is an untidy round oval of grass, dry leaves; bark shreds seed cases loosely bound together with spider webs. It has a side top entrance with a porch or hood, and is usually lined with feathers.

Feeding Habits ...

This bird forages for food on the ground
The Cinnyris afer attacks its prey aerially and feeds on wing or takes the prey to a secluded venue where it is killed, torn into small pieces and eaten
This bird eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts and ants. These invertebrates are usually hawked aerially, killed and then eaten .
The bird also drinks nectar from flowers high up in the tree canopy.

Breeding, Habitat and Nesting Habits ...

The Greater Double-collared Sunbird is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life. The bird lays between 1 to 2 eggs and they are coloured green.
The nest is built high up in the tree canopy and is protected from predators by branches and the dense green foligae.
The Greater Double-collared Sunbird is mainly found in light and densely wooded forests, where there are Mopane trees.
The bird is found in the African bushveld
The bird is at home in riverine forests and close to water bodies such as lakes, dams and streams
This bird is very common in most of the Southern African Forests

Seen in Flocks, Singles or Pairs Normally ...

The Greater Double-collared Sunbird is mainly seen singly or in pairs in the wild.
It is also seen in flocks