Gurney's Sugarbird Promerops gurneyi Scientific name definitions

With its prodigiously long, decurved bill and long flowing tail, Gurney's Sugarbird is a spectacular resident of protea woodland in the eastern highlands of southern Africa. Its muted colors ensure that it is well camouflaged when perching still, when the first clue to its presence may be the species’ distinctive harsh warble of twittering and twanging notes. Its diet consists primarily of the nectar of protea flowers and, to a lesser extent, that of other plants, including aloes, bottlebrushes, and tree fuchsias. The long decurved bill and brush-tipped tongue are used to probe flowers for nectar. In addition to its dietary needs, the dense stands of proteas, wherein the species spends most of its time, also provide nesting sites and shelter from harsh weather.

Gurney's Sugarbird undertakes some dispersal, including movements to lower elevations, when the proteas are not in flower, but males return to the same territories year after year, and they defend those areas aggressively against the intrusions of other nectar-eating birds. The species is monogamous and breeds when the proteas are in flower. Incubation is undertaken solely by females, but both sexes feed the young. The clutch usually comprises two eggs, and breeding success is relatively high when compared to available data for southern African passerines, ranging from 46–56%.

The species is not considered threatened at present, although it faces habitat loss to commercial timber plantations and degradation due to frequent fires. Where proteas are cultivated commercially to produce flowers for export, Gurney's Sugarbird has colonized these plantations. Although damage to flowers by the birds may lead to conflict with the growers, this is not yet considered to be a problem.