Shelley's sunbird is a species of bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The species is named after George Ernest Shelley, an English ornithologist and nephew of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Region
South-Central and East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo through Tanzania and Malawi to Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Prefers woodland edges, miombo (Brachystegia) woodlands, riparian thickets, and wooded savannas. Also visits gardens and flowering shrubs in rural settlements. It follows seasonal blooms and may move locally as nectar sources shift.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named after the English ornithologist George Ernest Shelley, this small sunbird is a swift, active nectar-feeder that also takes tiny insects. Males often hover briefly like a hummingbird but usually feed while perched. By visiting flowering shrubs and trees, it serves as an important pollinator in miombo and savanna ecosystems.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief hovering
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes in small mixed flocks at flowering trees. Builds a pear-shaped, hanging nest of plant fibers with a side entrance, typically low to mid-canopy. Pairs are territorial around rich nectar sources during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A series of thin, high-pitched tsee and tzip notes interspersed with rapid twitters. Males often sing from exposed perches near flowering trees during early morning.
Plumage
Male is glossy and iridescent with metallic sheen above, a bright throat, and a narrow, contrasting breast band over an olive to yellow belly. Female is duller, mostly olive-brown above with paler, grayish to yellowish underparts and faint streaking. Both sexes have a slender, downcurved bill suited to nectar feeding.
Diet
Primarily nectar from flowering shrubs and trees such as aloes, Erythrina, and miombo species. Also takes small insects and spiders, especially when feeding nestlings, gleaned from foliage or caught on short sallies. May sip from cultivated ornamentals and occasionally takes soft fruit juices.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in woodland edges, thickets, and gardens where flowering plants are abundant. Often forages in the mid to upper canopy but will descend to low shrubs and aloe spikes.
