Bocage's sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is present in the Bié Plateau (Angola) and southern DRC.
Region
South-central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs primarily on the Angolan highlands, especially the Bié Plateau, and extends into southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (e.g., Katanga/Lualaba region). It frequents miombo (Brachystegia) and other broad-leaved woodland mosaics, wooded savanna, gallery forest edges, and secondary growth. It also visits riparian thickets and flowering shrubs in disturbed areas and villages. Local movements follow flowering cycles, so abundance can vary seasonally at a site.
Altitude Range
900–1900 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Bocage's sunbird is a small nectar specialist of upland woodlands on the Bié Plateau of Angola and adjacent southern DRC. Like other sunbirds, it uses a brush-tipped tongue to lap nectar and also takes small insects, especially when feeding young. It often tracks flowering trees and shrubs and can appear locally common where blooms are abundant.
Temperament
active and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent hovering at flowers
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks in flowering trees. Pairs defend nectar-rich patches during the breeding season. The nest is a suspended, purse-like structure built from plant fibers and spider webs, with the female doing most of the construction.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A thin, high-pitched series of twitters and sips interspersed with sharper tchit notes. Calls are rapid and metallic, often given while foraging among blossoms.
Plumage
Male shows glossy, iridescent plumage on the head and throat with darker underparts; female is duller, olive-brown above with paler, lightly washed underparts. Both sexes have a slender, decurved bill adapted for nectar feeding. Plumage lacks wing bars; overall appearance is sleek with a metallic sheen in males.
Diet
Primarily nectar from flowering trees and shrubs, including miombo species, supplemented with small insects and spiders. Insects become more important during chick rearing. It occasionally takes small fruits and will glean arthropods from foliage.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in canopy and mid-story of woodland edges, gallery forests, and thickets, often moving between flowering trees along woodland margins. Also forages in gardens and disturbed areas where ornamental plants are in bloom.
