Palestine Sunbird Cinnyris osea Scientific name definitions

8–10 cm; male average 7·6g and female average 6·8 g (nominate). Male nominate race breeding has purple forehead, metallic blue-green (blue in some lights) on rest of head and upperparts, except for dark metallic blue uppertail-coverts; tail as back, lesser and median upperwing-coverts metallic green, rest of wing dark brown; side of face metallic green, chin black, throat metallic purple with green gloss in lower section, breast violet with gold reflections, pectoral tufts orange-red above and yellow below; rest of underparts, including underwing-coverts, black, lower breast and belly with metallic tinge; iris black or dark brown; bill and legs black. Male non-breeding resembles female below, but wings and tail as in breeding plumage, underparts dull black with iridescent patches, and some white near tail. Female is dull grey-brown above with indistinct bluish-green tinge on rump, darker brown wing-coverts, tail black glossed blue; light greyish-brown below, belly very faintly washed yellow, axillaries pale yellow, underwing-coverts grey-white mixed with yellow and brown, no pectoral tufts; bare parts as male. Immature male is like adult female but brighter yellow on belly, when moulting into breeding plumage has dark areas broken up by white and metallic green patches; immature female as adult but more yellow on underparts. Race decorsei is smaller than nominate, male lacks iridescence on lower breast and belly, no non-breeding plumage known, female is darker and browner (less grey) above and with indistinct olive tinge on rump, light brown with yellow tinge below.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Savannas, bushy riversides, rocky valleys, gardens and parks, orchards, juniper (Juniperus) woods and cypress (Cupressus) groves. In Yemen, absent at sea-level but occurring at 250–3200 m.

Nominate race mostly resident, but wanders and makes altitudinal movements, e.g. in Jordan and Oman; some visit Syria in non-breeding season. Race decorsei ascends to higher altitudes (2000–3000 m) in Sudan (Jebel Marra) to breed during Sept–Jan; breeders present in Uelle grasslands, in N DRCongo, only in Oct–Mar, but non-breeding destinations unknown.

Nectar , fruits, seeds, also spiders (Araneae) and insects . Forages singly and in pairs; sometimes gregarious outside breeding season, when small groups of up to eight individuals observed to feed together. Visits flowers of many genera, including Acacia, Aloe, Anagyris, Anchusa, Bauhinia, Begonia, Bougainvillea, Capparis, Citrus, Clerodendrum, Cordia, Convolvulus, Cordia (Cordia abyssinica), Cytisus, Echinops, Euphorbia, Hibiscus, Jasminum, Lavandula, Lobelia, Lonicera, Loranthus, Lupinus, Lycium, Malvaviscus, Moringa, Nerium (oleander), Nicotiana, Otostegia, Phoenix, Plicosepalus, Punica, Pyrostegia, Robinia, Tecoma, Thevetia, Yucca, Zinnia and Zygophyllum. Feeds by perching on plants, and by hovering in front of flowers.

Song of race decorsei described as "chwing-chwing-chweing..." or "chwee-chwee-chwee...", that of nominate much more varied and with dialects; repertoire includes repetitions of "tsk, tsk, wee, wee, wee, tsk-choo, choo, choo", a warble of fast high-pitched rising and falling notes and various trills and whistles, in addition to mimicry of songs of other bird species. Calls of nominate include "tsk", "tchoo-twit", "tiu", "ftift", "seep seep", "seep tchink tchink", "pee-pee", "dzee" and "teweeit te-weeit"; of decorsei "chip-ip-ip-ip-p".

Egg-laying recorded in Apr–May in Lebanon and Jordan, Feb–Sept in Israel, Feb, Mar and May in Arabia, Jun in Egypt and Nov–Dec in Sudan, and breeds Jan–Feb in N DRCongo; two or three broods. Forms pair-bonds and holds territory, but male promiscuous, up to at least six males following receptive female for as long as 4 days before laying begins; rivals have singing duels and commit infanticide. Courting male approaches female, exposes pectoral tufts, and jerks up and down, with head held erect and neck outstretched, while spreading tail and drooping wings. Nest built by female alone, taking 8–21 days, an untidy and pear-shaped structure made from grass, stems, roots, leaves, down, bark, paper and polythene shreds, bound with hair, wool and cobwebs, and with "beard" of leaves and twigs, lined with feathers, wool, leaves and bits of paper, suspended 0·5–10 m up in bush; territory 0·3–14·3 ha. Clutch 1–3 eggs, rarely 4, slightly glossy, white, covered with fine grey or grey-brown or red-brown or yellow-green spots, concentrated at wider end; incubation by female, leaving nest four times per hour during daylight, incubation period 12–14 days; chicks brooded by female, fed by both parents, both also remove faecal sacs, nestling period 13–14 days; fledglings return to roost in nest for 7–10 days after leaving nest.

Not globally threatened. Uncommon in much of range; locally common, and in some places abundant, especially in N of range. Very common and widespread in Israel and Palestine, where population increased during last century; locally common in Jordan, where densities of 2–8 pairs/km²; common above 1500 m in SW Saudi Arabia and at 250–2800 m in N Yemen. Has increased numbers and expanded range in S Syria following establishment of settlements.