Bird of the Week – White-bellied sunbird
The tribal name is taletale and in Afrikaans, witpenssuikerbekkie.
THE white-bellied sunbird is a common resident which is distributed over most of the North East of South Africa, being absent from the drier south and west.
They like drier woodland, acacia savanna, riverine bush, parks and gardens.
These sunbirds are usually solitary or in pairs, with larger numbers gathering at good food sources. They are active and restless, darting about foraging or chasing other sunbirds.
They are highly vocal at all times and may sing intermittently for 30 minutes or more from a perch inside a bush. The male has a loud, distinctive song ‘ta-la, ta-la, ta-la-trrrr’ hence the scientific name cinnyris talatala.
LISTEN:
Food preferences are nectar of many indigenous and exotic flowers, insects and spiders.
The breeding season is from August to December. An oval nest with a well-built porch is made of grass, leaves, and plant down, bound with spider web and lined with feathers. Usually two white-greyish eggs are laid. The incubation period is 13 to 14 days and the chicks are nestlings for 14 to 15 days.
The tribal name is taletale and in Afrikaans, witpenssuikerbekkie.
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