Cinnyris talatala

An inhabitant of open woodlands, riparian thickets, bushveld and suburban gardens, the tiny (6-9g) White-bellied Sunbird feeds mainly on nectar from a variety of flowers, although insects and other invertebrates also makes up a sizable portion of its diet.

White-bellied Sunbirds breed throughout the year, with a peak in spring and summer. The nest is built by the female, of dry plant material bound together by spider web, often in a very thorny plant or near a wasp nest. The female is also singly responsible for incubating the clutch of 1-3 eggs for about two weeks, but both parents feed the chicks until they fledge after another two weeks.

In South Africa, White-bellied Sunbirds occur in Kwazulu-Natal, the Free State, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces. It is also found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and with an abundant, stable population is regarded as being of least concern by the IUCN.

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird

Amethyst Sunbird female

White-bellied Sunbird (male) on a Wild Mango blossom

As you can see from this gallery, Joubert and I have great fun photographing the White-bellied Sunbirds visiting the Cape Honeysuckle and other flowering shrubs in our small garden.

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female feeding on Cape Honeysuckle nectar in our garden

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Male

White-bellied Sunbird Juvenile Male

White-bellied Sunbird Juvenile Male

White-bellied Sunbird Juvenile Male

White-bellied Sunbird Juvenile Male

White-bellied Sunbird Juvenile Male

White-bellied Sunbird Juvenile Male

White-bellied Sunbird Juvenile Male feeding on Cape Honeysuckle nectar in our garden

White-bellied Sunbird Female feeding on Cape Honeysuckle nectar in our garden

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female

Young White-bellied Sunbird male

White-bellied Sunbird Male

White-bellied Sunbird male

White-bellied Sunbird male

White-bellied Sunbird Female

White-bellied Sunbird Female feeding on Cape Honeysuckle nectar in our garden

Young White-bellied Sunbird male

White-bellied Sunbird Male

White-bellied Sunbird Male

White-bellied Sunbird Male

White-bellied Sunbird Male

White-bellied Sunbird Male

White-bellied Sunbird feeding on Cape Honeysuckle nectar in our garden

White-bellied Sunbird Male

White-bellied Sunbird Male

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird feeding on Cape Honeysuckle nectar in our garden

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird

White-bellied Sunbird male