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Pemba sunbird
Species of bird From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Pemba sunbird (Cinnyris pembae) is a species of bird in the sunbird family. It is endemic to Pemba Island, Tanzania.
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Taxonomy
Anton Reichenow first described the Pemba sunbird in 1905.[2]
The taxonomy of the Pemba sunbird has been the subject of debate. Pakenham regarded it as a subspecies of the purple-banded sunbird under the name Cinnyris bifasciatus pembae.[3] It is also sometimes regarded as conspecific with the violet-breasted sunbird, Cinnyris chalcomelas, which lives on the mainland in Kenya.[4] Cinnyris pembae is distinguished from these closely related species by being the only purple-banded sunbird on Pemba Island.[5] It is also significantly smaller than its fellow sunbirds.[5] Hermann Grote regarded the Pemba sunbird to be identical in coloration, but about half the size, of Cinnyris voeltzkowi (today recognized as a subspecies of the Malagasy green sunbird, Cinnyris notatus).[6]
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Description
Males have a wingspan of 51.5-53 mm, while females have a wingspan of 47.5-50 mm.[7] Adult males display iridescent blue-green coloration on their head and throat with bluish violet coloration on their wings and across their breast.[7][8] Females have a gray-brown coloration on their head and wings, a pale yellow underside with blurry streaking and a small pale yellow lateral streak posterior to the eye.[7][8] Juveniles resemble adult females with darker chin and throat, broad whitish malar stripe, and mottled grey underparts.[5]
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Behavior
Pemba sunbirds consume nectar and fruits. They have been observed nesting in Wellingtonia trees and consuming the trees' nectar.[3] Other favored foods include the white berries of Flueggea virosa, into which the Pemba sunbird jabs its beak, while smaller berries are eaten whole.[5]
Breeding takes place throughout the year with a noted lull between the months of January and April, inclusive.[9] Males exhibit aggression to each other during breeding season.[5] Nesting takes place approximately from July through December.[3] Greenish-white eggs with brown streaks are laid in a "bag or purse-shaped nest suspended 1-2 m up from shrub or amongst foliage."[5]
The Pemba sunbird is known for a repetitive tslink-tslink-tslink call which is unlike that of its relatives on the mainland.[10] It can be found in a wide variety of habitats on Pemba Island.[5]
References
Bibliography
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