Birds Guide

The sugarbirds are a small family of passerine birds which are restricted to Africa.

The two species of sugarbird make up one of only two bird families restricted entirely to southern Africa, the other being the rockjumpers Chaetopidae. They are specialist nectar feeders, but will also take insects.

In general appearance as well as habits they resemble large sunbirds, but are possibly more closely related to the Australian honeyeaters. They have brownish plumage, the long downcurved bill typical of passerine nectar feeders, and long tail feathers.

They can often be seen on the flowers of the Protea bushes which are characteristic of South African highland landscapes. They lay two eggs in a nest in a fork of a tree.

Gurney's Sugarbird is found from Zambia southwards, except the extreme south of South Africa.

Cape Sugarbird is the species of the Cape provinces of South Africa. It has at times been considered conspecific with Gurney's.

• Family: Promeropidae
  • Gurney's Sugarbird, Promerops gurneyi
  • Cape Sugarbird, Promerops cafer

External links

• Sugarbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection