THE SUNBIRD THAT JUST DOESN’T EXIST.
Today Nigel Hunter and myself had wonderful views of very obliging
sunbirds that were coming in to bathe in recently sprayed acacias in
the native tree nursery near East Gate in Nairobi National Park. They
were fluttering in the leaves only a couple of feet from the ground
enjoying their bathe. This was drawing in Bronze, Marico and Variable
Sunbirds, and more surprisingly a few Buff-bellied Warblers.
When I first drew attention to one particular bird I said to Nigel
that I was watching a bird that could not possibly exist, and when he
found the bird he could see exactly what I meant.
I took a number of photographs and some video (images and video-grabs
attached).
The description of the bird is as follows:
Overall a robust, not small sunbird with a strong bill
Head; almost entirely violet-blue and very shiny. Appearing darker on
crown and the face forward from the eye. This continued onto the
breast, and on the side of this, whilst most of the time looking as
blue as head and back, at certain angles showed limited greenish tinge
to the iridescence.
Back; the same violet blue continued across the entire upperparts,
with the flight feathers non-iridescent blackish-grey. The rump like
the back was violet-blue, but the tail dull blackish-grey like the
wings in most lights but what was not easy to see was that at the
right angle it appeared tinged iridescent green.
The lower-breast towards the vent was a creamy-grey, there was a
flame-orange pectoral tuft that showed readily in flight, and on the
closed wing appeared as an orange and yellow pectoral patch extending
onto the sides of the breast as a short maroon line but this did not
extend onto the breast.
Legs and feet very blackish.
Is there anybody out there who could give some suggestions as to what
this bird might be?
Best for now
Brian