Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga)

Other Names (World)
Souimanga Sunbird, Madagascan Sunbird

Family
Nectariniidae (Sunbirds)

Size
10 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Gmelin, 1788)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland and montane moist forest, lowland dry shrubland, dry forest, mangoves, rural gardens. From sea-level - 2,300 m.

Range (Guide)

Madagascar, Seychelles (B).

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Nectar. Also insects and spiders.

Voice
A chirruping flight call and a loud, hoarse alarm call. Song is fast and scratchy, with frequently repeated phrases. Only the male sings.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (57)...)

Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga) [XC762654]
by Paul Lenrum\u00e9 from Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Toamasina, Madagascar (call)

Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga) [XC762652]
by Peter Boesman from Ankarafantsika NP, Mahajanga, Madagascar (call)

Nest
Dome-shaped, with a side-entrance, composed of grass stems, coconut fibre and leaves, usually suspended from a branch about 1 - 2 metres above the ground. Also on builds or in a sinkhole within eroded coral.

Eggs (Guide)
Clutch Size: 2
Color: whitish, mottle with red
Incubation: 13 - 14 days

Young
Fledge: 16 - 18 days

Subspecies
Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga) and Anjouan Sunbird (Cinnyris comorensis) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) are retained as species contra Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) who include comorensis as a subspecies of Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga).

Genus often subsumed in Nectarinia. Species name sometimes spelled "souimanga", but this appears to be an unjustified emendation. Forms a superspecies with Humblot's Sunbird (Cinnyris humbloti) and Anjouan Sunbird (Cinnyris comorensis) and all could perhaps be considered conspecific. Mitochondrial DNA work suggests that Anjouan Sunbird (Cinnyris comorensis) belongs in present species, which forms a clade with Humblot's Sunbird (Cinnyris humbloti), Mayotte Sunbird (Cinnyris coquerellii) and Seychelles Sunbird (Cinnyris dussumieri), and further suggestion is that this clade colonized Indian Ocean islands from continental Africa (at earliest 3�9 million years ago) initially through Comoros. Sister-group appears to contain Orange-tufted Sunbird (Cinnyris bouvieri), White-breasted Sunbird (Cinnyris talatala) and Northern Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer griseus). Geographical variation well marked. Subspecies apolis intergrades with nominate in southern Madagascar (Petriky region).

The following 5 subspecies are recognised:

aldabrensis Ridgway, 1894 - Aldabra I.
abbotti Ridgway, 1894 - Assumption I, in Aldabra Is.
buchenorum J. G. Williams, 1953 - Eastern Aldabra Is (Cosmoledo, Astove).
sovimanga (Gmelin, 1788) - Madagascar (except south-west) and Is Glorieuses.
apolis Hartert, 1920 - South-western Madagascar (east to Ankapoky).

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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