Anthobaphes violacea
The striking Orange-breasted Sunbird is a nectar and insect-feeding bird that is endemic to South Africa’s fynbos biome, and as such occurs only in the Western Cape and western-most portions of the Eastern Cape coast. They’re mostly associated with natural stands of Protea and Erica plants, and will only occasionally visit gardens with flowering Aloe plants.
Orange-breasted Sunbirds are usually seen singly or in pairs, but they may on occasion congregate in enormous numbers at a rich food source. They may breed throughout the year, though there is a peak in nesting activity between autumn and spring. It takes the female about 3 weeks to construct the oval-shaped nest, with a side-entrance in a densely-leafed shrub, using soft materials and spider web. While the male defends the pair’s territory, the female is also solely responsible for incubating the clutch of 1 or 2 eggs for about two weeks, though both parents feed the chicks on invertebrates brought back to the nest until they fledge at approximately 3 weeks of age. The youngsters become independent about two to four weeks later. Fully grown they measure about 16cm in length but weigh only 9g.
The IUCN classifies the Orange-breasted Sunbird as being of least concern, while noting that their population is probably declining due to loss of habitat to invading alien plants.
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