cape sugarbird
{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Cape sugarbird
| image = Cape Sugarbird (Promerops cafer).jpg
| image_caption = Male in South Africa
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Promerops
| species = cafer
| authority = (Linnaeus, 1758)
| synonyms = Merops cafer {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
}}
The Cape sugarbird (Promerops cafer)Note: the name "cafer" is Modern Latin for Caffer, an adjective meaning South African, or of South Africa (Caffraria).
{{ cite web |url=https://archive.org/stream/BirdNamesIndia/Buceros9_2BirdNames_djvu.txt |title=A dictionary of scientific bird names originating from the Indian region |author=Aasheesh Pittie |access-date=11 September 2015}} is one of the eight bird species endemic to the Fynbos biome of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa.Wright D.R, Lee A.T.K. 2017. Bird -friendly Habitat Management Guidelines for the endemic birds of the Fynbos Biome. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa.
Taxonomy
The Cape sugarbird was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the bee-eaters in the genus Merops and coined the binomial name Merops cafer.{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title= Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | volume=1 | edition=10th | page=117 | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | location=Holmiae (Stockholm) | language=Latin | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/727022 }}{{ cite book | editor-last=Paynter | editor-first=Raymond A. Jr | year=1986 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=12 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=449 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14482566 }} Linnaeus specified the type locality as Ethiopia but this was changed to the Cape of Good Hope by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.{{ cite book | last=Brisson | first=Mathurin Jacques | author-link=Mathurin Jacques Brisson | year=1760 | title=Ornithologie, ou, Méthode Contenant la Division des Oiseaux en Ordres, Sections, Genres, Especes & leurs Variétés | volume=2 | language=French, Latin | page=462 | location=Paris | publisher=Jean-Baptiste Bauche | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36011802 }} The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen. The Cape sugarbird is now placed in the genus Promerops that was introduced for the species by Brisson in 1760.{{ cite book | last=Brisson | first=Mathurin Jacques | author-link=Mathurin Jacques Brisson | year=1760 | title=Ornithologie, ou, Méthode Contenant la Division des Oiseaux en Ordres, Sections, Genres, Especes & leurs Variétés | language=French, Latin | location=Paris | publisher=Jean-Baptiste Bauche | pages=[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36010432 34 Vol. 1]; [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36011800 460, Vol. 2]}}{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | date=December 2023 | title=Dapple-throats, sugarbirds, fairy-bluebirds, kinglets, Elachura, hyliotas, wrens, gnatcatchers | work=IOC World Bird List Version 14.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/sugarbirds/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=4 February 2024 }} The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
Description
The Cape sugarbird is a grey-brown bird that is easily recognisable by a spot of yellow under its tail and the very long tail feathers present in males. The male is 34–44 cm long, and the shorter-tailed, shorter-billed, and paler breasted female 25–29 cm long. Another characteristic of the Cape sugarbird is the sound it makes when it flies. The main flight feathers are arranged in such a way that when the bird beats its wings, a frrt-frrt sound is made with the intention of attracting females.{{ cite book |author=Ian Sinclair |author2=Phil Hockey |author3=Warwick R. Tarboton |name-list-style=amp |title=SASOL Birds of Southern Africa |publisher=Struik Publishers |year=2002 |isbn=1-86872-721-1}}
Distribution and status
The Cape sugarbird is distributed throughout most of the fire driven ecosystem of the Fynbos in South Africa, the dominant vegetation type of the Cape Floral Region where there are flowering proteas and ericas. It is most common in areas that have not burnt recently, and almost absent from recently burnt areas.Lee, A.T.K, Altwegg, R. & Barnard, P. 2017. Estimating conservation metrics from atlas data: the case of southern African endemic birds. Bird Conservation International. It is also found in gardens in summer when most proteas are not in flower, but urban birds are associated with greater stress measures.{{Cite journal | last1=Mackay | first1=B. | last2=Lee | first2=A.T.K. | last3=Barnard | first3=P. | last4=Møller | first4=A.P. | last5=Brown | first5=M. | date=2017 | title=Urbanization, climate and ecological stress indicators in an endemic nectarivore, the Cape Sugarbird | journal=Journal of Ornithology | volume=158 | issue=4 | pages=1013-1024 | doi=10.1007/s10336-017-1460-9}} With a large population and extensive range, the Cape sugarbird is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Behaviour
=Food and feeding=
The Cape sugarbird is a specialist nectar feeder when it comes to feeding off Proteaceae. Its long, sharp beak is used to reach the nectar of a variety of species of protea with its long brush-tipped tongue. The staple diet of this sugarbird is nectar; however, it will also eat spiders and insects. The characteristic strong winds in the Cape may make feeding off protea heads difficult, but the Cape sugarbird has adapted to this with the development of sharp claws.
=Breeding=
The breeding season for the Cape sugarbird is winter when food supplies are ample. Breeding males set up territories in mature stands of Protea bushes, where they perform vocal displays.{{Cite journal | last1=Lee | first1=A.T.K. | last2=Barnard | first2=P. | last3=Hockey | first3=P.A. | date=2015 | title=Population metrics for fynbos birds, South Africa: densities, and detection and capture rates from a Mediterranean-type ecosystem | journal=Ostrich | volume=86 | issue=1-2 | pages=179-187 | doi=10.2989/00306525.2015.1021287}}
Gallery
File:Cape sugarbird.jpg|Cape sugarbird
File:Promerops cafer 2.jpg|Female in South Africa
File:Promerops cafer 4.jpg|Male drinking nectar from a Protea cynaroides in South Africa
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web |url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=8184&m=0 |title=Cape Sugarbird - BirdLife Species Factsheet |author=Compilers Stuart Butchart |author2=Jonathan Ekstrom |work=Evaluators: Jeremy Bird, Stuart Butchart |publisher=BirdLife International |year=2008 |access-date=June 6, 2009 | ref=none }}
- Cape sugarbird - [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/773.pdf Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds].
- [http://www.nasmus.co.za/ornithol/promerops.html Cape sugarbird in Bloemfontein, SA]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1002569}}
Category:Endemic birds of South Africa