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Cyanomitra
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Blue-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra alinae Scientific name definitions

Robert Cheke and Clive Mann
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2008

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

12–14 cm; male 11–16 g, female 10–15 g. Male nominate race has top and side of head to neck side and hindneck metallic bluish-green and chin, throat and upper breast metallic violet-blue, all with violet reflections; mantle and back bright saffron, rest of upperparts olive-green; primaries edged olive-yellow, other remiges edged olive-green, median and lesser upperwing-coverts bright metallic green, rest of upperwing blackish-brown; graduated tail blackish-brown, tips of outer two feather pairs paler, outer webs of all rectrices with olive-green border; yellow pectoral tufts, dark brown lower breast and belly, dull olive-green lower flanks and undertail-coverts; underwing greyish-white; iris brown or reddish-brown; bill black; legs black or olive-black. Female is similar to male but has no pectoral tufts, and metallic feathers on crown duller green, without blue sheen. Juvenile male is dull olive-green above, with metallic spots on crown, orangey-yellow tinge on mantle, has chin to upper breast dull blackish-grey with dark barring, rest of underparts greyish-olive. Race derooi has crown deep green, less blue than nominate, and metallic colour below bluer, less purple, also back darker and redder and breast darker grey than other races; tanganjicae has head greener, less blue, than nominate, longer bill than previous; kaboboensis differs from preceding two in having deep grey belly only slightly tinged black (looking paler), also less olive in lower belly and undertail-coverts, no metallic green in wing-coverts, steel-blue neck and throat with greener reflections; marungensis is distinguished from last by paler belly and shorter and weaker bill.

Systematics History

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.

Proposed race vulcanorum (described from W Kivu Volcanoes, in E DRCongo) considered a synonym of tanganjicae. Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Cyanomitra alinae marungensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Marungu Mts, in SE DRCongo.
SUBSPECIES

Cyanomitra alinae alinae Scientific name definitions

Distribution

NE DRCongo (W Rwenzori Mts, Virunga Volcanoes), SW Uganda (E Rwenzoris, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest) and NW Rwanda.
SUBSPECIES

Cyanomitra alinae tanganjicae Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E DRCongo (mountains W of L Kivu, Itombwe Mts, NW of L Tanganyika), SW Rwanda (Nyungwe Forest, SE of L Kivu) and W Burundi.
SUBSPECIES

Cyanomitra alinae derooi Scientific name definitions

Distribution

NE DRCongo in two main populations (one W of L Albert, the other W of L Edward).
SUBSPECIES

Cyanomitra alinae kaboboensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Mt Kabobo, in E DRCongo.

Distribution

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.

Habitat

Primary, secondary and riverine montane forests above 1400 m and up to 3280 m; 1980–2480 m on Mt Kabobo, and 1660–1710 m in Marungu Mts.

Movement

Presumed sedentary.

Diet and Foraging

Insects and small spiders (Araneae); also nectar. Forages usually at low levels, but sometimes in canopy. Visits flowers of Balthasarea schliebenii, a favourite species around which it defends territories; feeds also from Brillantasia, Canaria emini, Impatiens niamniamensis, Ixora burundensis, Lobelia giberroa, Phragmanthera usuiensis, Pseudosabicea, Symphonia, Tapinanthus brunneus and Tapinanthus constrictiflorus. Takes nectar from flowers of trees and mistletoes (Loranthaceae) while perched, also while hovering.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a quiet twittering, culminating in a series of loud “chip” notes every 3–4 seconds; advertises territory with far-carrying rising and falling notes in series 3–6 seconds long. High-pitched subsong used in aggressive meetings and courtship. Calls include rising and falling sequence ending with distinctive “tcii tcii tcii yehu”, also “tsee” and “chip”.

Breeding

Egg-laying in Jan–May in DRCongo. Territorial males face each other on treetops, calling, until one flies at the other; occasionally both fall together, gripping each other’s feet, before displays repeated. Nest pouch-shaped, entrance with pronounced porch, made of moss, Usnea lichens, grass, roots and dry leaves, lined with fine grass or flower heads, suspended 2 m up from bush. Clutch 1–2 eggs, red-brown or red-grey with dark patches, darker at larger end. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Restrictedrange species: present in Albertine Rift Mountains EBA. Common in most of its montane range; scarce in Kivu area of DRCongo.
Distribution of the Blue-headed Sunbird - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Blue-headed Sunbird

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Cheke, R. and C. Mann (2020). Blue-headed Sunbird (Cyanomitra alinae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.buhsun1.01
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