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Both sexes have a plain olive back, a yellow belly, and white tail edges that are flared out in flight.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilySunbirds and Spiderhunters
SizeTiny
RarityCommon
HabitatClosed forest, Irrigated farmland, Open woodland, Sparse woodland, and Waterbodies
Best timeReported across most months in Queensland, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Range map
Range map
556visible hotspots
13880visible records
2states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
The male flashes an iridescent blue throat while the female has a yellow throat and eyebrow. In parts of range, female Sahul may be confused with female Black Sunbird; note that species’ unmarked gray head and shorter, less curved bill. Gives a buzzy, twittering song, as well as a rising “dwee”, a familiar sound even in cities.
Behavior
The elongated hanging nest is 30–60 cm (12–24 in) in length and has a hooded side entrance. It is constructed by the female using grass, bark, moss, lichens, leaf fragments, vegetable fibres and spider webs. The clutch of 1–3 eggs is incubated by the female.
Gallery