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Nectariniidae
Genus
Cinnyris
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Stuhlmann's Sunbird Cinnyris stuhlmanni 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

13–14 cm; 6–11·5 g. Male nominate race breeding has head to upper breast and upperparts, including scapulars and lesser and median wing-coverts, metallic emerald-green, uppertail-coverts metallic violet-blue, tail very dark brown with white tips and narrow white edges on two outer feather pairs, graduated, central feather pair 13 mm longer than outer feathers; upperwing mostly dark brown, feathers more olivaceous on edges; lower breast with thin (3 mm deep) metallic violet band, bordered below by broader (16–22 mm deep) scarlet band, with brown speckling; dark olive below, pectoral tufts yellow, underwing-coverts and axillaries grey; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Non-breeding male resembles female, but wings darker and wing-coverts retain metallic coloration. Female is dark olive-green above, darker on side of face, wings and tail dark brown, wing feathers with pale edges, primaries with yellow tinge on edges, lesser and median coverts dark olive-green; grey-olive with indistinct darker barring below, centre of belly pale, tinged yellow, underwing-coverts and axillaries white, washed yellow; bare parts as male. Juvenile undescribed. Race chapini male has shorter bill (22–25 mm) than nominate, darker red breastband, belly dark grey; graueri male is similar to nominate but smaller and shorter-billed (17·5–21·5 mm), with uppertail-coverts more violet blue, breastband brick-red, and abdomen buff-grey, less olive; schubotzi female has throat and upper breast darker grey than other races.

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.

Has been considered conspecific with C. prigoginei, C. ludovicensis and with C. afer; closely related also to C. reichenowi. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Cinnyris stuhlmanni stuhlmanni Scientific name definitions

Cinnyris stuhlmanni stuhlmanni
C. s. stuhlmanni +1

Distribution

Rwenzori Mts, in NE DRCongo and W Uganda.
SUBSPECIES

Cinnyris stuhlmanni schubotzi Scientific name definitions

Cinnyris stuhlmanni schubotzi
C. s. schubotzi

Distribution

mountains of Nyungwe Forest, in SW Rwanda (S L Kivu), and W Burundi (mountains NE of Bujumbura).
SUBSPECIES

Cinnyris stuhlmanni chapini Scientific name definitions

Distribution

mountains of E DRCongo from W of L Edward (Nord-Kivu district) S to NW of L Tanganyika (Mt Kabobo, in Sud-Kivu).
SUBSPECIES

Cinnyris stuhlmanni graueri Scientific name definitions

Distribution

mountains S and E of L Edward (E DRCongo and SW Uganda) S to N tip of L Kivu (Virunga Volcanoes and NW Rwanda above 1800andnbsp;m).

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

Hypericum scrub, montane forest, bamboo, heaths, forest edges and clearings, above 2000 m.

Movement

No information.

Diet and Foraging

Nectar, insects, and spiders (Araneae). Forages singly and in pairs; sometimes in larger flocks. Visits flowers of Balthasaria schliebenii, Crotalaria agatiflora, Hypericum revolutum, Kniphofia princiae, Lobelia gibberoa, Lobelia mildbraedii and Symphonia globulifera. Forages also in manner of a tit (Paridae), in trees.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Warbling song consists of “chee-oo, che che, chee-oo, che che, se, se, se, se, se, se, se, ce chit, che chit-che chit”, rising just before end and then dropping. Calls include “tsp” , “chee-chee” and drawn-out “tseeeep”.

Breeding

Egg-laying in Jun, Sept and Dec in DRCongo and Sept and Dec in Uganda. Male displays involve hopping with drooped and quivering wings while singing, with pectoral tufts splayed at right angles to body. Nest built by female, small oval structure constructed from Usnea lichen, moss, leaves, feathers and pappus, held together with cobwebs, lined with pappus and feathers, placed 2–5 m up in tree. Clutch 1 egg, dark olive with darker olive freckles (nominate race) or matt white and covered with ash-grey or pale brown markings with dark ring at wider end (graueri); no information on incubation and nestling periods.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not assessed. Restrictedrange species: present in Albertine Rift Mountains EBA. Abundant in Burundi near Rwanda border between 2750 m and 3500 m, but rare below 2400 m. Uncommon in Rwenzori Mts in DRCongo. Abundant above 2750 m on Mt Muhavira, in Uganda.
Distribution of the Stuhlmann's Sunbird - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Stuhlmann's Sunbird

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Cheke, R. and C. Mann (2020). Stuhlmann's Sunbird (Cinnyris stuhlmanni), 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.stusun1.01
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