The white-bellied sunbird's unusual nest

Our village abounds with a remarkable variety of bird species. A resident recently observed a nest being built close to his unit by what appeared to be a white-bellied sunbird. It is the only sunbird in the region that has a white belly.

A white-bellied sunbird

"The nest was built by a female [white-bellied] sunbird over a period of about a week," he said. "It consists of spider web strands and dead leaves, and is about 25 centimetres high. What cannot be seen from the picture is the veranda over the opening which keeps the interior dry."

The white-bellied sunbird's nest that was recently built in our village

"It was built in a euphorbia; probably because the thorns of the bush will prove to be a barrier to predators," he continued.

It occurred to him that the nest is large for such small a bird. She cannot be seen while inside, nor will the young while they are growing up.

"While these birds live mainly on nectar," he concluded, "they feed their growing chicks with protein in the form of flying and creeping insects."