This is the fourth in the Birds of Silvermine Series.
As with other sunbirds the bill is long and decurved, that of the male being longer than that of the female. The bill, legs and feet are black. The eyes are dark brown. The head, throat and mantle of the male are bright metallic green. The rest of the upper parts are olive green. The upper breast is metallic violet and the lower breast is bright orange, fading to paler orange and yellow on the belly. The tail is long and blackish, with elongated central tail feathers, which extend beyond the other feathers. The female has olive-greenish grey upperparts and olive yellowish underparts, paler on the belly. The wings and tail are blackish. The colour of the iridescence changes with the angle of incident light such that a blue may suddenly appear green or black. The juvenile resembles the female.
The call is a twangy, weak ssharaynk or sskrang, often repeated several times.
Due to its restricted range within the fynbos biome of South Africa's Western Cape, this sunbird is associated with Ericas and proteas. It breeds when the heath flowers, typically in May. The male defends its territory aggressively, attacking and chasing intruders.
This tame species is a common breeder across its limited range, and is an altitudinal migrant, moving to higher altitudes during the southern summer in search of flowers. It is gregarious when not breeding, forming flocks of up to 100 birds.
The orange-breasted sunbird breeds from February to November (Mainly in May - August) The nest built mainly by the female is an oval of rootlets, fine leafy twigs and grass, bound together with spider webs and lined with brown protea fluff. It has a side top entrance, but does not have a covered porch. The usual clutch is two eggs and the female alone incubates. The eggs hatch in about 14.5 days and both parents feed the young. The young birds are mostly fed with insect and spider prey.
The orange-breasted sunbird subsists on flower nectar, predominantly from ericas and proteas, although it will make use of other types of flowering plants as well. They use their long, probing tongues to soak up juices. It will also take small insects and spiders, often in flight. At times this sunbird can be seen feeding the ground.
Scource: Wikipedia
Take the path at the trailhead S 34° 06.018 E 18° 26.020 to find the 5 bird caches along this route.
Stop just before the stream that crosses the path. Then it's 5 metres upstream near some rocks.
BYOP