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Sunbirds

Sunbirds and spiderhunters, part of the family Nectariniidae, are vibrant Old World passerines predominantly found in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Australia and New Guinea, with the highest diversity near the equator. These small, slender birds typically have curved bills suited for nectar-feeding, often exhibit iridescent plumage in males, and sometimes possess elongated tail feathers. They number 145 species across 16 genera and are known for their fast, direct flight, also feeding on insects and spiders, vital for their chicks. Sunbirds can hover like hummingbirds to feed on nectar, but usually prefer perching. They share ecological niches with distant relatives such as hummingbirds in the Americas and honeyeaters in Australia, showcasing convergent evolution. Some species enter nightly torpor in colder climates to conserve energy. Their nesting habits, including suspended purse-shaped constructions made from spiderwebs, vary among species and locations. These birds actively pollinate African flowers through nectar feeding, and while they're generally resilient to habitat changes and not threatened by the pet trade, some species do experience negative impacts from human activities, such as agricultural development. The family has mostly managed to thrive despite environmental changes.

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African & Green Broadbills
African & New World Parrots
African Barbets
Albatrosses
Anhingas, Darters
Austral Storm Petrels
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushshrikes
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Crab-plover
Cranes
Crombecs, African Warblers
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Dapple-throat & Allies
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Egyptian Plover
Fairy Flycatchers
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Finfoots
Flamingos
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Gannets, Boobies
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Ground Hornbills
Guineafowl
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Hamerkop
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Hylias
Hyliotas
Ibises, Spoonbills
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Jacanas
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Monarchs
Mousebirds
New World Quail
Nicators
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Ostriches
Owls
Oxpeckers
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Penguins
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Plovers
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandgrouse
Sandpipers, Snipes
Secretarybird
Shoebill
Shrikes
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sugarbirds

Sunbirds

Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Turacos
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Wagtails, Pipits
Wattle-eyes, Batises
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Weavers, Widowbirds
White-eyes
Wood Hoopoes
Woodpeckers
Yellow Flycatchers
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Species Categories

African & Green BroadbillsAfrican & New World ParrotsAfrican BarbetsAlbatrossesAnhingas, DartersAustral Storm PetrelsBarn OwlsBee-eatersBulbulsBuntingsBushshrikesBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCrab-ploverCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesDapple-throat & AlliesDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansEgyptian PloverFairy FlycatchersFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlufftailsFrigatebirdsGannets, BoobiesGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGround HornbillsGuineafowlGulls, Terns, SkimmersHamerkopHerons, BitternsHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHyliasHyliotasIbises, SpoonbillsIndigobirds, WhydahsJacanasKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesMonarchsMousebirdsNew World QuailNicatorsNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOstrichesOwlsOxpeckersOystercatchersPainted-snipesPelicansPenduline TitsPenguinsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloversRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandgrouseSandpipers, SnipesSecretarybirdShoebillShrikesSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSugarbirdsSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTrogonsTropicbirdsTuracosTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesWagtails, PipitsWattle-eyes, BatisesWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWeavers, WidowbirdsWhite-eyesWood HoopoesWoodpeckersYellow Flycatchers

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