Plain-backed Sunbird

The Plain-backed Sunbird has a disjunct distribution, with one subpopulation in the coastal lowlands of Kenya and north-eastern Tanzania, and another in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It may be at risk from clearance of lowland forest throughout its range.

The Plain-backed Sunbird is classified as Near Threatened (NT), is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

The Plain-backed Sunbird, Anthreptes reichenowi, is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time. More

Distribution of Plain-backed sunbird in southern Africa, based on statistical smoothing of the records from first SA Bird Atlas Project (© Animal Demography unit, University of Cape Town; smoothing by Birgit Erni and Francesca Little). Colours range from dark blue (most common) through to yellow (least common). See here for the latest distribution from the SABAP2. Food It mainly eats arthropods supplemented with nectar, gleaning prey from leaves and often aerially hawking insects from vegetation. More

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