Forest Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris fuelleborni Scientific name definitions

11–12 cm; 6·9–9·8 g. Adult male nominate has head and neck, upperparts, including lesser and median wing-coverts, and chin to breast iridescent golden-green, tinged blue near tips of feathers, lores black, uppertail-coverts grey or metallic green proximally, tipped violet or purplish; tail very dark blackish brown and glossy, slightly graduated, outermost feather and distal half of adjacent one paler and tipped white on inner webs, outermost also on outer web; upperwing dark greyish brown, remiges and greater wing-coverts with olive-yellow edges; thin band of methyl-blue on uppermost breast, scarlet to orange-red breastband (11–20 mm deep) often with yellow at sides, lemon-yellow pectoral tufts (11–21 mm long), olive-green belly to vent without yellow (but sometimes with brown tinge) and undertail-coverts sometimes scarlet-tipped, scarlet-washed or all scarlet; underwing-coverts off-white, axillaries pale greenish; iris dark brown or black; bill and legs black. Female is dark olive-green above, lores darker, tail glossy grey-brown, slightly graduated, outer two feathers tipped brown-white on inner webs and outermost also on outer web, remiges dark brown, edged olive-green, median and lesser wing-coverts dark olive; chin and throat olivaceous green with yellow speckling, underparts olive-yellow, darker on breast and flanks, underwing-coverts white with yellow wash, axillaries olivaceous yellow; bare parts as male. Juvenile resembles adult female, but darker below. Race bensoni male differs in having uppertail-coverts violet, and breastband darker red, as well as duskier olive-green belly and vent (also without any trace of yellow), but female indistinguishable.

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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.

Montane forest and habitats akin to those used by C. mediocris, especially in canopy and at edges; mainly at 1400–2450 m in Malawi, but more locally down to 1050 m there, and at 1850–2200 m in Zambia.

Nectar; also insects, including flies (Diptera), Hymenoptera and Neuroptera, also spiders (Araneae) and small molluscs. Nectar taken from wide range of plants, including Acacia abyssinica, Bridelia brideliifolia, Canthium gueinzii, Carduus kinensis, Crotalaria goetzei, Dombeya goetzenii, Echinops amplexicaulis, Erica arborea, Faurea saligna, Hagenia abyssinica, Halleria lucida, Hoslundia opposita, Protea kilimandscharica, species in the genera Clematis, Englerina, Erythrina, Hypericum, Impatiens gomphophylla, Leonotis decadonta, L. mollissima and Lobelia giberroa; also visits Usnea lichen, presumably in search of invertebrates. Pollinates Englerina flowers. Singly and in pairs; joins mixed-species parties. Forages on leaves, nectar-robs plants, and catches flying ants in flight. Forages at all levels in forest. Competes with C. afer at forest edges, but is dominant over latter and even over slightly heavier C. ludovicensis, but accedes to Cyanomitra verticalis.

Poorly known and little-studied. Differs from C. mediocris in its song with higher number of different notes, and longer notes (excluding introductory notes) which reach lower frequencies.

Egg-laying recorded in Jun, Aug and Oct–Jan in Tanzania, and further S during Apr–Oct in Malawi and Zambia (especially Jun–Aug in first-named and Jul–Sept in latter). Availability of insects appears to be more important than that of nectar in determining timing of breeding in S of range, but flowering of Buddleia, Gnidia, Hypericum and Kotschya at forest edges are important for attracting insects. Territory 0·2–0·5 ha on Malawi/Zambia border (Nyika Plateau). Male displays pectoral tufts to other males while courting female. Nest and eggs undescribed, but clutch size two eggs. Oldest known individuals at least six and seven years old, with annual adult mortality estimated at 51–57% (males) and 76–79% (females). No further information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Numerous within limited range in NE Zambia, in Mafinga Mts, Makutu and Nyika Plateau, and also very common in montane rainforest in neighbouring Malawi, where much more widespread, but is more local in mid-altitude forest on E escarpment there. High-altitude areas in Malawi are largely protected, e.g. within forest reserves and Nyika National Park, but mid-altitude forests are more threatened.