Prigogine's sunbird or Prigogine's double-collared sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae.
Region
Albertine Rift, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Typical Environment
This species is confined to fragments of montane evergreen forest and forest edge in the Itombwe Massif and nearby highlands. It favors areas with abundant flowering shrubs, forest clearings, and secondary growth adjacent to mature forest. It forages from the understory to mid-canopy and may visit forest edges near villages when flowers are abundant. Habitat loss and degradation within these highland forests limit its range and connectivity.
Altitude Range
1800–2600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Prigogine's double-collared sunbird is a highland sunbird known only from a few montane forest sites in eastern DR Congo. Males show the classic double-collared pattern with iridescent green and a bright breast band, while females are drabber and more cryptic. It is an important pollinator of flowering shrubs and trees. The species is named after the Belgian-Congolese ornithologist Alexandre Prigogine.
Temperament
active and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief hovering; usually perches to feed
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly, in pairs, or in small loose groups at flowering trees. Males defend rich nectar resources and display to females. The small purse-like nest is usually woven by the female and suspended from foliage, with both parents feeding young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A thin, high-pitched series of twitters and rapid trills interspersed with sharp tsip notes. Vocalizations accelerate during territorial encounters and courtship near flowering plants.
Plumage
Male with glossy iridescent green head and throat, a narrow metallic blue-violet band and a broader scarlet to crimson breast band, with dark bronzy upperparts and dusky underparts; female dull olive-brown above with grayish-buff underparts and faint streaking.
Diet
Primarily feeds on nectar from flowering shrubs and trees, probing with its slender curved bill. It supplements nectar with small insects and spiders, especially when rearing chicks. Occasionally gleans arthropods from foliage or makes short sallies to catch flying insects.
Preferred Environment
Forages along forest edges, clearings, and secondary growth where flowering plants are concentrated. Also visits mid-canopy blossoms within montane evergreen forest and edges near human settlements when blooms are abundant.
