Fraser's sunbird or the scarlet-tufted sunbird, is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda.
Region
West and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from Sierra Leone and Guinea east through Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon into Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Congo Basin, and locally to Uganda and western Tanzania, with outliers in Angola and the Central African Republic. It inhabits lowland and foothill evergreen forest, forest edges, secondary growth, and gallery forest. Often found along forest tracks, clearings, and riverine corridors where flowering shrubs and lianas are abundant. It may visit wooded gardens and plantations adjacent to intact forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Fraser's sunbird is a forest-dwelling sunbird that forages quietly in the midstory, often going unnoticed despite being fairly widespread. Males have small, usually concealed scarlet pectoral tufts that can be raised during display. Like many sunbirds, it can hover briefly at flowers but typically feeds while perched. It often supplements nectar with small insects and spiders, especially when feeding young.
Temperament
quiet, active, and somewhat skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief hovering at flowers
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs and sometimes joins mixed-species flocks within forest. Territorial around rich flowering resources, with male display involving raised scarlet tufts. The nest is a small, suspended purse-like structure placed in dense vegetation; both parents tend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a thin, rapid series of high notes and tinkling phrases delivered from a concealed perch. Calls include sharp tseet and sip notes used while foraging and in contact between pairs.
Plumage
Mostly olive-brown upperparts with grayish head tones and paler, lightly streaked throat and breast; underparts gray to buff-gray. Feathers are smooth, with a slight gloss on the head and mantle. Males possess small scarlet pectoral tufts that are usually hidden.
Diet
Feeds primarily on nectar from flowering shrubs, lianas, and small trees, often probing or occasionally piercing the base of flowers. Supplements nectar with small insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and twigs. Will take small fruits or fruit juices when available, and increases insect intake during breeding.
Preferred Environment
Forages in midstory and canopy edges, along forest gaps, trails, and river margins where blossoms are concentrated. Also visits flowering plants in secondary growth and adjacent gardens.
