The red-chested sunbird is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Region
East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from Burundi and Rwanda through Uganda, western Kenya and northwestern Tanzania, into eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and southwestern Ethiopia. It favors gardens, forest edges, riparian thickets, and wooded savannas with abundant flowering plants. Often common around villages and cultivated areas where ornamental shrubs bloom year-round. Uses riverine vegetation and wetland margins but is not confined to wetlands.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small sunbird is noted for the male’s dazzling metallic-green head and throat paired with a vivid red chest. It frequents flowering shrubs and can hover briefly like a hummingbird to sip nectar, though it typically perches while feeding. It also takes small insects, especially when feeding young. Pairs often defend rich nectar sources against other sunbirds.
Temperament
active and moderately territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief hovering at flowers
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs; males may defend nectar-rich shrubs or trees within small territories. Nests are pendant, purse-like structures woven from plant fibers and spider silk, suspended in shrubs or reeds. Clutches are typically 1–2 eggs and both parents attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A high, tinkling series of twittering notes interspersed with sharp tsip or tsee calls. Males sing from exposed perches near flowering plants, with calls accelerating during territorial interactions.
Plumage
Male with iridescent green head and throat, bright red chest, and blackish belly and wings; gloss can appear purple in certain light. Female is dull olive-brown above with yellowish-olive underparts and faint streaking, lacking the male’s red chest and iridescence.
Diet
Feeds primarily on nectar from a variety of native and cultivated flowers, including aloes, Leonotis, and garden ornamentals. Supplements diet with small insects and spiders, especially during breeding. Occasionally takes small fruits or sap when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages in flowering shrubs, trees, and hedges at forest edges, gardens, and riparian thickets. Often visits human-modified habitats with year-round blooms and can exploit seasonal flushes of flowers.
