The grey-hooded sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is endemic to the Philippines found only in the moist montane forests of Mindanao. It is one of the three montane Mindanao endemic sunbirds along with the Lina's sunbird and the Apo sunbird.
Region
Mindanao Highlands
Typical Environment
Found in moist montane and mossy forests on Mindanao, typically in the midstory to canopy. It frequents forest edges, clearings with flowering shrubs, and ridgelines where nectar sources are concentrated. The species also uses secondary growth near intact forest but is uncommon in heavily disturbed lowlands. Foraging often occurs in mixed-species flocks, especially where blooms are patchy. It is generally absent from coastal and low-elevation habitats.
Altitude Range
900–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This sunbird is one of three montane Mindanao endemics, alongside Lina's Sunbird and the Apo Sunbird. It plays a key role as a pollinator of high-elevation flowering shrubs and trees. Its restricted range makes it sensitive to habitat loss, especially deforestation and degradation of montane forests.
A Philippine stamp in 2009 depicting the Grey-hooded Sunbird
Temperament
active and somewhat territorial around rich nectar sources
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief hovering at flowers
Social Behavior
Often seen singly, in pairs, or joining mixed-species flocks in the canopy. Pairs defend prime flowering patches when resources are concentrated. The nest is a small pendant structure woven from plant fibers and spider silk, suspended from a twig or vine. Breeding activity follows peak flowering flushes in montane habitats.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Delivers thin, high-pitched twitters and tinkling notes, interspersed with sharp tsip calls. Vocalizations are frequent while foraging and become more persistent near nesting sites.
Plumage
Compact sunbird with a distinctive grey hood and nape, olive-green upperparts, and yellowish underparts. Feathers are sleek, with slight iridescence on the upperparts in good light. The bill is slender and decurved, typical of nectar-feeding sunbirds.
Diet
Primarily consumes nectar from flowering trees and shrubs, probing tubular blossoms with its curved bill. Supplements nectar with small insects and spiders, especially during breeding to feed nestlings. It occasionally engages in aerial sallies for tiny arthropods and gleans from foliage and bark. By moving between blooms, it serves as a pollinator for several montane plant species.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the midstory to canopy of montane and mossy forests, and along forest edges where flowers are abundant. It also uses flowering shrubs on ridgelines and in lightly disturbed secondary growth adjacent to intact forest.
