Marico Sunbird Cinnyris mariquensis Scientific name definitions

11–14 cm; male 9·1–14·2g, female 7–12·3 g. Male nominate race is metallic green with golden reflections on head to rump, including lesser and median upper­wing-coverts, and to throat and upper breast; uppertail-coverts metallic dark blue-green; tail very dark brown, all except outer two feather pairs edged metallic green; wing feathers very dark brown, but paler than tail; base of throat ringed by narrow band of iridescent dark ­violet-blue, below this a purple-maroon breast­band (8–10 mm deep) mixed with violet feathering; otherwise black below, including underwing-coverts and axillaries; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Female has thin brownish-white supercilium, brown crown, ear-coverts, cheek and upperparts, much darker brown uppertail-coverts and tail, outer tail feather with wide white patch at tip of inner web and white on outer edge; throat and breast dull whitish with variable amounts of heavy black marks, belly also with brown patches, tinged with pale yellow, undertail-coverts buffy-white with black-brown and white streaks, dull white axillaries and underwing-coverts; bare parts as male. Juvenile resembles female, young male distinguished by having black or grey throat bordered white, malar streak and underparts washed yellow, heavy black streaks on breast, yellow-white supercilium and shoulder patch conspicuous, remiges and tertials tipped light brown, broader on secondaries and tertials, central rectrices glossy dark blue with green tinge, outer pair brown with white edges above and below. Race suahelicus is shorter-billed than nominate, male has greyer abdomen; osiris male has more violet-blue on abdomen and lower edge of throat, broader upper (violet) breastband, darker and narrower lower (maroon) breastband, female more heavily marked on throat and breast.

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.

Inhabits dry acacia (Acacia) savanna, edges of riverine forest and swamp-fringing forest, as well as gardens and moist woodland. Lowlands and middle elevations; up to 2000 m in Sudan (Didinga Mts).

Apparently nomadic in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Uganda. In Uganda presence at Kampala erratic, although noted there in all months. In Zimbabwe moves to C plateau May–Jun to breed, leaving for lower altitudes Nov–Dec. One individual recovered 51 km from ringing site in South Africa. Abandons arid Kalahari areas during droughts.

Feeds on nectar; also insects, including flies (Diptera), Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and termites (Isoptera), as well as spiders (Araneae). Forages singly and in pairs, sometimes with other sunbirds. Visits flowers of genera Acacia, Aloe, Bauhinia, Cadaba, Callistemon, Capparis, Crotolaria, Erythrina, Geranium, Grevillea, Jacaranda, Kigelia, Kniphofia, Leonotis, Schotia, Tecoma and Thevetia, and mistletoes (Loranthaceae). Takes insects by leaf-gleaning, hawking and hovering.

Complex song may last for a few minutes, involves jumble of “chur-chur”, “chip-chip-chip”, “tsi-tsi”, “b-r-r-r-zi” whistles, warbles and trills. Calls a repeated “chip-chip”.

Egg-laying recorded in Mar in Somalia, May in Ethiopia, Feb, Jun, Aug–Sept and Nov in Uganda, all months except Aug and Oct in Tanzania, Feb and Sept–Oct in Zambia, Jan–Jul and Sept–Oct in Zimbabwe, Nov in Botswana, Jul in Mozambique and Aug–Apr in South Africa. Territorial throughout year; males sing from tops of trees near each other, in duetting duels, maintaining upright poses. Courting male flies around female, hovers in front of her and then lands beside her. Nest built by female alone, a thick-walled oval with small porch, made of white down or woolly material and grass, decorated with bark, seeds, flowers and feathers and held together by cobwebs, lined with feathers, suspended 1–8 m up in tree or shrub; same site may be used in successive years or twice in a season. Clutch 1–3 eggs, whitish to greyish-white or greenish-white, heavily marked with pale brown, black, grey or olive streaks, dots, lines and blotches; incubation by female, period 2 weeks; no information on nestling period; fledglings return to nest to roost. Nests parasitized by Diederik Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius) and Klaas’s Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx klaas).

Not globally threatened. Generally common in most of range, but less common in S Tanzania. Occurs in several protected areas, among which are Awash National Park, in Ethiopia, Lake Mburo National Park, in Uganda, Shaba and Buffalo Springs Game Reserve, in Kenya, Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks, in Tanzania, and Etosha National Park, in Namibia.